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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22369810">Lyra</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/VIXXX'>VIXXX (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>VIXX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blood, Blood Drinking, Elemental Magic, Elves, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Has Feelings for Everyone At Some Point, Fight the Darkness, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic, Medium Burn, Mentions of Past Abuse/Non Graphic Mentions of Past Non-con, Multi, Mutual Pining, Mythical Beings &amp; Creatures, Non-traditional Twin Flame, Quests, Swords &amp; Sorcery, Unrequited Love, Violence, Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:35:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22369810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/VIXXX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adventures are everywhere, you just have to look for them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(AKA: The One Where 6vixx Saves the World)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cha Hakyeon | N/Jung Taekwoon | Leo, Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Lee Jaehwan | Ken, Jung Taekwoon | Leo/Lee Jaehwan | Ken, Kim Wonshik | Ravi/Lee Hongbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to my weird attempt at high fantasy!<br/>If I don’t explain something right or I'm being confusing, I apologize in advance. I tried to write it so it would make sense lol. Below are a map reference and also a sheet of basic world info in case you want to have a look. I hope you enjoy the story!</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zvyMMTeRM9ZyXAC4-6AOIkvDtRqQ9rbVEorfi4FNfhA/edit?usp=sharing">Info Sheet</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://clytemnestrasrevenge95.tumblr.com/post/190413205767/maps-of-the-five-kingdoms-reference-for-lyra">Maps</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> ‘And it was that the Shayde elders joined hands and spoke the sacred words, channeling their power and combining it, becoming one of many and many of one. The world began to burn around them as the heart of the sun was drawn from the sky. Ripped from its home and crashing to the ground, leaving the world in darkness. Only an empty husk remained. A second moon to orbit the earth in tandem with the first. A gentle glow where raging fire once had burned.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But the Shayde elders made a mistake, a grave miscalculation, and the heart of the sun did not land where they could see it. Where they could lay claim to it and destroy it. No, the heart of the sun came to rest in the lands of the Glayze. Those who worshiped Thena and the light, those who held dominion over the snow and ice. The Glayze found the heart of the sun and sealed it away, using their magic to keep it safe from all those who sought to bring it harm.’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Excerpt from ‘A Detailed History of the Five Kingdoms’ by Aiwin Faera  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>~❅~☾~❅~</p><p> </p><p>The string of Hongbin’s bow swished taught as he shot a final feather-tipped arrow over his shoulder. The hooded figures chasing him had all but dropped away, the dark of ceaseless night granting the sellsword enough cover to escape. It was supposed to have been a quick in-and-out job. Enter the stronghold, grab the map, and get out. There weren't supposed to have been half a dozen heavily armed guards! The bastard who’d hired them was going to get an earful at minimum, a knife to the throat at most. Where had Sanghyuk gone? </p><p> </p><p>Hongbin and Sanghyuk had grown up together in Westcliff, a small fishing town in the kingdom of Shimor. They’d been friends since before they could walk. Practised fighting with a wide array of weapons until they could beat almost everyone in town. It was their only skill, really, the only thing they knew how to do. It was all they <em> wanted </em> to do. So when they came of age, Hongbin and Sanghyuk had journeyed to the capital city of Mairis. They worked as a pair, selling their services for whoever had enough coin to afford them. And they made good money too. But Sanghyuk was... well, his <em> condition </em> could cause trouble at the least opportune moments, and knowing he’d caught a knife to the abdomen and had led a group of the guards on a chase while bleeding out wasn’t doing Hongbin’s anxiety levels any favors. Sanghyuk was like a younger brother to Hongbin. It was only natural to worry. </p><p> </p><p>The Inn they’d planned as a meeting place came into view and Hongbin slowed to an easy stroll, pulling the hood of his dark cloak over his face. The shadows served well enough for concealment, but you could never be to careful. </p><p> </p><p>He passed through the front door of the Inn and hurried through the common room to the staircase. Each step and rise was like a booming echo inside the sellsword’s head. He couldn’t get to his chamber fast enough. Something was wrong. Very, <em> very </em> wrong; Hongbin could feel it. Sense it on the air. He had the map, they’d done the job as they were instructed to, but something was <em> wrong. </em></p><p> </p><p>~❅~☾~❅~</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan adjusted his cowl, making sure his hair was covered as he padded slowly down Mairis’ highstreet. This city had a strange energy to it, a unique energy, even when the streets were mostly empty. Jaehwan could feel it thrumming against his fingertips, burning against his skin. It was lovely and warm in this place, Jaehwan thought, remembering flakes of snow that melted on his tongue and sparkled in his brothers hair. Remembering the blizzards that swept across the palace and turned it’s window panes white. Remembering the way the daylight would glitter on the ice after the blizzards passed, before the sun had been stolen from the sky. Remembering home. </p><p> </p><p>The bundle of herbs he’d purchased safely stored in his pack, Jaehwan was just contemplating finding an inn for the night when he heard a weak cry coming from up ahead. His ears perked up, tracing the faint sound to its source and increasing his pace. He was always grateful for his Elven hearing, especially in moments like this. When he could hear the sound of someone in need of help.</p><p> </p><p>An alley on the left. Soft panting. A little groan, as if it had escaped unbidden under the person’s breath. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” Jaehwan called, loudly enough to be heard but not so loud as to startle the injured person. If they were in any state to be startled at all. He checked his cowl once more, just to be sure, and finally came upon a man curled in a heap on the ground. Or Jaehwan <em> assumed </em> it was a man, broad and visibly tall even when horizontal. The sole of his boot made a soft squelching noise as he moved closer to the man and with a pang of fright, Jaehwan realized he had stepped in blood. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello? Can you hear me? What has happened to you?” he asked, sidestepping the pool of vitus and kneeling by the man’s head. Jaehwan lightly tapped the man’s cheek. Nothing. He hunched over and put his ear besides the man’s mouth to listen for the telltale whisper of breath, and there it was. The man was alive. In a bad way, that much was obvious, but he <em> was </em> alive. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan brushed the man’s golden hair off his forehead and found it matted with scarlet. He wasn’t nearly skilled enough at healing to mend a head wound if there was one, but... maybe the apothecary? The kind apothecary he’d purchased the herbs from seemed knowledgeable enough and coin wasn’t an issue for Jaehwan. If only this man would wake up. Jaehwan may be strong but the injured man was as big as he was and half again, and deadweight would only make the job of carrying him down the street more difficult. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to get you help, alright?” Jaehwan whispered, flexing his fingers and placing them on the man’s temples. A peel of baudy laughter from a block away made Jaehwan’s ear twitch but he didn’t let it break his focus. </p><p> </p><p>The man’s energy was... <em> not </em> what the elf had been expecting. It sparked against his fingertips like nothing Jaehwan had ever felt before. Singing a wordless song, almost calling to him somehow. And it was <em> strong. </em> Stronger than anything Jaehwan had ever encountered from a human. Almost like the feeling of his brother’s magic. Not in <em> essence, </em> this man possessed no tangible magic that Jaehwan could detect, but the <em> familiarity </em> of it. Like he was touching a part of his own soul. </p><p> </p><p>He focused, trying not to let the strangeness distract him and channeled his energy into the injured man. Exhaled a fragment of his own life force, his lumina, on a silver breeze and watched it slip between the man’s parted lips. </p><p> </p><p>The man sat up with a gasp, clutching his side with one enormous hand before collapsing again. Jaehwan jerked forwards and caught him before he could do more damage, cradling the man's head in his lap. A pair of very dark eyes stared up at him, hazy and unfocused with pain, eyes framed by thick lashes that were actually quite lovely to look at. Jaehwan shook his head. “You’re awake?” he murmured, waiting for the stranger to nod and then nodding in return. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to get you help, but you need to stand up. You’re going to be alright,” Jaehwan said quietly, stroking the man’s hair with one hand and beginning to weave flows of atmos with the other. He wove them as tight as he could and then wrapped them around the man’s arms and across his chest. This wouldn’t be pleasant for him but it would surely be better than having to walk unaided. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and pressed it to the man’s injury, wincing at the breathy groan of pain that the man failed to suppress. “Be brave for me, be strong, we don’t have to go far but you need to help me now, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>The man gave a single sharp nod before Jaehwan tugged on his weaves, keeping pressure on the wound as the man was drawn to his feet like a puppet on a string. The elf couldn’t help but admire the man's strength, how he clamped his jaw shut and swallowed a scream. He wound his arm around the man’s middle to provide extra support as they began to hobble slowly out of the alley and back down the way Jaehwan had come. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s your name?” Jaehwan asked, trying to distract the man, give him something to think about other than the blood slowly dribbling from his wound. They did not <em> walk </em> so much as <em> shuffled, </em> both of the man’s muscled arms tight around his neck and chin resting on the top of his head. This close, Jaehwan could feel the man’s energy more strongly. Smell it. The cotton and cedar scent of his clothing mixing with the driftwood and oakmoss that was just his own. Jaehwan forced himself to keep walking, keep talking. “My name is Jaehwan.”</p><p> </p><p>“My name...”</p><p> </p><p>The man grunted, nearly stumbling over a loose cobblestone but Jaehwan tugged at his weaves just in time to keep them both uprite. “Sanghyuk.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is nice to meet you, Sanghyuk.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk nodded weakly, his chin ruffling the cowl over Jaehwans head. The elf surreptitiously pulled it back in place. After what felt like hours, the apothecary came into view. “Just up here on the right,” Jaehwan hummed, sparing a bit of his energy and sending a current of atmos to push open the shop door. </p><p> </p><p>The friendly man Jaehwan had met earlier jumped to his feet at the sight of the two, staggering and no doubt absolutely <em> covered </em> in blood. “What happened to him?” the man asked, shouting for someone named Hakyeon as he hastened around the counter. He was nearly as tall as Sanghyuk and just as well built, short dark hair falling across his forehead and pretty ink decorating the bits of skin Jaehwan could see. And kind brown eyes. Eyes Jaehwan immediately trusted. </p><p> </p><p>“I found him lying in an alley like this, can you help him?”</p><p> </p><p>The man worried his lip between his teeth and gently moved Jaehwan’s scarf to peer at the nasty gash on Sanghyuk’s side. “We’ll do what we can, but this certainly isn’t good.”</p><p> </p><p>A second man that Jaehwan hadn’t seen before appeared from what he assumed was a back room, presumably this Hakyeon the other had called for. He took charge of the situation at once. “Bring him this way, just through here. Wonshik, please move everything off the cot so he can lay down,” he said, command clear in his voice as Jaehwan helped Sanghyuk maneuver around the counter. </p><p> </p><p>Getting Sanghyuk down on the cot was harder than Jaehwan had been expecting. He dragged the elf down with him until Jaehwan was kneeling on the cold stone floor. Jaehwan released his weaves with a sigh, moving around so he was out of the apothecary's way to crouch beside Sanghyuk’s head. He kept attempting to sooth the man as Hakyeon got to work, combing his fingers through Sanghyuk’s hair and humming softly. </p><p> </p><p>“Who did this?” Hakyeon asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the wound as he dabbed it with a wet cloth to clear away the dried blood.</p><p> </p><p>“Not- important.”</p><p> </p><p>Hakyeon shot Sanghyuk a look of pure irritation. “Yes it <em> is </em> important. I need to know what kind of blade it was, if magic was involved. I don’t care if you were doing something illegal but I have to know.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk inhaled sharply as the apothecary’s cloth touched a particularly sensitive spot. “Don’t know- about... magic. Sword.” His fingers found Jaehwan’s wrist and squeezed tight. </p><p> </p><p>“I can’t sense anything,” the elf said, probing around the wound with invisible strands of atmos. There were no traces of sorcery either dark or light. Hakyeon glanced at him with mild suspicion but nodded all the same. “Wonshik, calendula, comfrey, lemon balm. Please,” he added, nodding at his assistant. Wonshik scurried off to fetch the requested herbs as Hakyeon continued to clean the wound. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re- very kind... to bring me here,” Sanghyuk mumbled, his eyes slipping shut and teetering on the edge of unconsciousness again. Jaehwan gave his hand a squeeze. “But I can heal on my own. I just need- my friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hakyeon snapped, taking an armful of jars from Wonshik and opening them one by one. “Have you <em> seen </em> yourself? You’d have bled out and died within the hour if this kind man hadn’t brought you to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk shuddered and did his best to stifle a scream as Hakyeon began working in earnest, snatching up Jaehwans hand and pressing his lips to the inside of Jaehwan’s wrist. The contact sent a jolt of <em> something </em> rocking through the elfs entire body. Like he’d been shocked, the magic within him amplified almost to the point of burning. It was a struggle to keep it contained. </p><p> </p><p>“I can... I’m... I just need...”</p><p> </p><p>“Please, try to keep him quiet. Wasting his strength on talking won’t help matters any,” Hakyeon said sharply, massaging a strong smelling ointment on the edges of the cut. It was already taking the entirety of Jaehwan’s concentration to keep the magic from exploding out of himself but he did his best, mindlessly humming and letting Sanghyuk groan against his wrist. </p><p> </p><p>The assistant, Wonshik, paused in the act of handing Hakyeon clean strips of cotton. “Who’s your friend? Where are they? I can bring them here?”</p><p> </p><p>“The inn... the Broken Gate,” Sanghyuk rasped. Jaehwan could sense him slipping further and he took a calculated risk, dipping into the well of power within himself and expelling the smallest bit of lumina he could manage. Letting it leave his body and flow into Sanghyuk. He wouldn’t have normally- this was <em> not </em> the way with strangers. Giving away one's lumina was the most <em> sacred </em> of practises, only to be used in the most dire of circumstances. But Jaehwan could not simply sit by and let this man die. Not when it felt like he’d found a home after so many years of wandering. </p><p> </p><p>“I know it, their name?” Wonshik nodded, looking to Hakyeon for permission before grabbing a dark red cloak off a peg on the wall. Sanghyuk winced. “Hongbin. Tell him- <em> ahh </em> tell him Sanghyuk sent you. He’ll come.”</p><p> </p><p>Wonshik nodded again, patting Hakyeon’s shoulder before hurrying out the back door and into the darkness. The apothecary watched him go but resumed tending to Sanghyuk almost at once. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan had begun to itch from the effort of suppressing the surge of strength bubbling beneath his skin. He could feel Sanghyuk’s weak breath puffing against his wrist, flinching at each whimper and moan of pain. If only there was <em> something </em> else he could do to help. If only he was more skilled at healing. If only Sanghyuk’s wound was magical rather than mortal so Jaehwan could take this pain away. </p><p> </p><p>“You say you can heal on your own? How is that possible?” the elf asked, staring down at Sanghyuk from beneath his cowl. The garment was a necessity for someone with Jaehwan’s appearance. His body and voice and style of movement gave away the fact that he was of elven descent, there was no getting around that fact, but his hair and eyes were another matter entirely. When cowled, most who looked upon him mistook Jaehwan for a Tayre which was just fine with him. The Tayre were a good people, kind and generous and lacking the stigma around his own race. </p><p> </p><p>The Glayze. The elves with hair like frost and eyes the color of a frozen pond, the elves with the most power of all races. Most people thought the Glayze were extinct, killed off in the war with the Shayde some hundreds of years ago. But Jaehwan and his elder brother had survived. The crown prince and the spare, left to live out their long lives alone in the Glayze stronghold at Lurlian. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan gave a minute shake of his head to banish thoughts of the years spent behind those frigid walls with a monster in disguise. This human needed him now, Sanghyuk needed him, and dwelling on the sorrows of the past would do neither of them any favors. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk had began panting again, forming words against the near-translucent skin of Jaehwan’s wrist. “I can- <em> huh </em> I can take something from my friend, if he gives it to me. Take it and use it to mend my hurts.”</p><p> </p><p>The elf frowned. “Does your friend possess magic?” he asked, resuming the petting of Sanghyuk’s hair he’d momentarily stopped. Sanghyuk chuckled darkly but there was no humor in the sound. “No, he- he doesn’t. It’s me. I’m the one who steals... who <em> takes. </em> He simply provides.”</p><p> </p><p>“Take it from me then.” </p><p> </p><p>The words left Jaehwan’s mouth without a second's hesitation. He didn’t even have to think about it. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk blinked up at him in surprise. “You- you don’t know what you’re offering,” he sighed, a single tear slipping from the corner of his eye as Hakyeon began stitching him up with a wicked looking needle. The elf shook his head. He could sense a bond forming between himself and this human, and while he didn’t completely understand it yet, Jaehwan was old enough to know better than to ignore the signs. He would not allow Sanghyuk to perish before he figured it out. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m strong, I will be fine. Just take what you need.”</p><p> </p><p>“Take it. Whatever it is, just take it. You need every edge you can get right now,” Hakyeon murmured, speaking for the first time since his apprentice departed. Jaehwan nodded in agreement. “We have much to talk about, I think, and we cannot do that if you die here on this cot.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk grimaced, hesitating for a moment longer before pressing the inside of Jaehwans wrist to his mouth once more. The elf felt a warm tingle of breath then Sanghyuk forming the word ‘sorry’ before biting down with a firosity that Jaehwan wouldn’t have imagined him capable of. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan yelped, both from pain and surprise. He jerked his arm back, or <em> tried, </em> Sanghyuk’s other hand clamping around his elbow to stop the elf from pulling away. He felt his skin break, felt Sanghyuk’s teeth digging into his flesh and his blood begin to flow into the human’s mouth. </p><p> </p><p>“Darah! You’re a <em> Darah?!” </em> Hakyeon exclaimed, dropping his needle and skittering back from the cot. Jaehwan didn’t blame the apothecary for his fear. Delving deep into the recesses of his mind, Jaehwan tried to remember the lore he’d read about Darah. Humans with so little lumina inside themselves that they were forced to steal it from others. Regarded as the children of Zanja, the goddess of darkness and death. Widely distrusted, but Jaehwan remembered feeling bad for the Darah. Remembered thinking that they were just misunderstood creatures doing what they had to do to survive. </p><p> </p><p>Being caught in a Darah’s grip was <em> worlds </em> different from reading about them though. If Jaehwan had known... the pain he could bear, pain was nothing but- Sanghyuk didn’t know what Jaehwan was. Didn’t know how much magic the elf possessed. No human, Darah or not, should consume the blood of a Glayce. Take in <em> that </em> much lumina. The effects could be... Jaehwan didn’t exactly know. He didn’t think it had ever been done before, but he couldn’t imagine they would be good.</p><p> </p><p>“Sanghyuk!” he gasped, feeling the mans jaws clamp harder. What he’d claimed about healing certainly seemed to be true. The nasty gash that had stretched from his hip to just under his ribs had knit closed in a matter of seconds and Jaehwan could hear that the man’s heartbeat was stronger and more even. But the elf could also feel himself beginning to grow weak from blood loss. He tried to pull his arm free once more but Sanghyuk growled against his bite and dragged him closer. </p><p> </p><p>There was only one thing for it. Employing the strength he had left, Jaehwan wove a thick strand of atmos until it was strong enough, looped it around the man’s waist and tugged, ripping Sanghyuk off him and holding him several feet in the air. Sanghyuk’s dark irises flared a bright ice white and he struggled for two, three heartbeats before regaining control of himself. </p><p> </p><p>“What <em> are </em> you?” he breathed, eyes returned to their normal dark brown and so intent on the elf that Jaehwan could almost feel their heat on his face. Like his hood wasn’t even there.</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan swallowed a lump of fear in his throat, pressing a corner of his cloak to his wrist to try and stop the bleeding. “I’m an elf. Can’t you recognize an elf when you see one?” he murmured, reluctantly releasing his weave and setting Sanghyuk back on his feet. Sanghyuk nodded slowly and made to approach but Jaehwan scooted quickly so his back was pressed against the wall. “I can close that up if you let me.”</p><p> </p><p>The sincerity in the man’s voice was clear and Jaehwan spared a single glance for Hakyeon, still backed up in the opposite corner of the room, before nodding. He could see the lines of worry creasing Sanghyuk’s brow, a hint of regret in his eyes and sadness in the downturned corners of his mouth. It was so incredibly strange, this feeling, like he was looking in a mirror. Able to understand the most minute gesture like he’d known this man his entire life. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk walked over to him and sat cross legged on the floor. “I’m sorry. My friend says it hurts more on the arm, but I didn't think you’d take too kindly to me lunging at your throat,” he said softly, taking Jaehwan’s hand in both of his and raising it to his mouth. Jaehwan flinched back on instinct but the man held him in a gentle grip. His tongue darted out to lick at the wound, and...</p><p> </p><p>The feeling was peculiar if not altogether unpleasant. The sensation of flesh resealing, hurts dulled to nothing, skin humming at the feeling of a type of magic Jaehwan was unused too. It only took a matter of seconds but all that remained was a faint scar.</p><p> </p><p>“We aren’t evil, I promise,” the man continued, reaching for the damp cloth Hakyeon had been using and dabbing the bit of excess scarlet from Jaehwan’s skin. “We just need... you know- need it to live. But you aren’t just any normal elf. I thought you were Tayre at first but...”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk reached for his cowl but Jaehwan slapped his hand away. “I <em> am </em> Tayre,” he lied, assuring himself that the hood was still in place. “I’m- I am disfigured. The shroud is a mercy to all who must look upon me.”</p><p> </p><p>It was an old lie, and a good one. A <em> safe </em> one. Once people thought he was ugly they lost all interest in trying to see his face. He’d sewn the cowl himself, a tighter wrap that he could pull up to cover his nose and mouth with a long hood over the top of his head. Not much could be done about his eyes, but if he wore the hood low enough they were at least <em> slightly </em> concealed. </p><p> </p><p>The man narrowed his eyes but didn’t press the issue. “Well... in any case, I’m sorry for hurting you, but thank you for your sacrifice.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome.” </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan tried to stand but nearly toppled over as a rush of dizziness hit him. Sanghyuk’s hand shot out to steady him and the elf was grateful for it. He looked down at himself, vision blurring the slightest bit. Crimson had stained the front of his navy cloak and it must have soaked all the way through his tunic and the cotton shirt beneath because he could feel its stickiness against his chest and stomach. The pointed toe of his left boot was now red and his palms were damp with a mixture of blood and sweat, his right sleeve torn where Sanghyuk had bitten him. He could remove the stains as easily as breathing but... not yet. He needed a moment to regain his strength. A moment's rest before he tried to weave. </p><p> </p><p>“Food,” Hakyeon announced, regaining composure and leaping to his feet with an abruptness that sent Jaehwan’s head spinning again. “You need food, it will help your blood supply replenish. And tea.”</p><p> </p><p>It was the elfs turn to give thanks but the apothecary waved it away. From what Jaehwan could tell, Hakyeon was kind but stern with an efficiency that bordered on frightening. But he had still taken Sanghyuk into his care without a single question or word of protest, and he hadn’t asked for anything in return. It was rare in this world of perpetual darkness, to find a person not swallowed up by greed and shadow. </p><p> </p><p>“So, you’re a Darah? I’ve never met one of your kind before,” Hakyeon asked, glancing at Sanghyuk over his shoulder as he filled a kettle with water. Sanghyuk nodded. “We’re rare, something to do with genetics. My mother is one as well,” he replied, helping Jaehwan over to sit on a low stool in the corner. The man kept a hand on his shoulder even once Jaehwan was comfortable. </p><p> </p><p>The current flowing between them seemed to center on the point of contact, Jaehwan thought, staring up at this human in wonder. This very large human who was rough but extremely gentle at the same time. This human who’d dropped into his life with the force of a star falling to earth. It wasn’t a sexual connection, Jaehwan could tell that much right away. Not to say that Sanghyuk wasn’t handsome, because he certainly was, swathed entirely in black with his dark eyes and hair like burnished gold. But it was something more baseline than that. More primitive. Jaehwan couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was yet. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s a fascinating condition,” Hakyeon mused, his words derailing Jaehwan’s train of thought. “I’ve read about such magic but have never seen it with my own eyes. You two stay here, I live above the shop so I’ll go run and get you something to eat.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk and Jaehwan both nodded and Hakyeon gave them a final thoughtful look before turning and leaving the room. </p><p> </p><p>“You said we needed to talk about something?” Sanghyuk asked, moving around until he settled cross legged on the floor at Jaehwan’s feet. Even like this, the man was almost at eye level with his chin. He really was <em> quite </em> a large person. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan nodded, slow, his long hair secured in a tight knot at the nape of his neck tickling him a bit. Even after all this time, the elf couldn’t bring himself to cut it. A remnant of his old life that he couldn’t relinquish. Hesitantly, he straightened, squaring his small shoulders and meeting the mans dark stare. “I came upon you in that alley completely by chance, but...” he hesitated, trying to think of how to form what he was feeling into words, “I do not think it was chance at all.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>The elf cleared his throat. “I mean- can you not <em> feel </em> it? A bond of sorts? A connection?” Sanghyuk eyed him warily but Jaehwan reached out to take his hand and he didn’t pull away. The magic stirred in Jaehwans core and Sanghyuks eyes widened. “Do you not feel stronger?”</p><p> </p><p>A nod. </p><p> </p><p>“If I had access to a good library I’d try and research this, but as it stands, I can only say that I feel like I have known you for centuries rather than little more than an hour. I am not sure if it is simply that I can sense your Darah magic, but... I couldn’t feel it when I found you. I checked. There is no magic in your blood, nothing remarkable about you at all so far as I can tell, and yet... and yet. I am drawn to you for some reason that I can not explain, something in,” he brushed his fingers across Sanghyuk’s chest, “Here.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk’s fingers traced the path Jaehwan’s had just followed. </p><p> </p><p>“Here?” </p><p> </p><p>“There,” Jaehwan nodded, “Like there's a string connecting our hearts. Being near you feels like reuniting two halves of my soul.”</p><p> </p><p>The man was gaping openly at him now and Jaehwan hastened to clarify what he meant. “Not romantic or some such like, please don’t misunderstand me. I don’t claim love at first sight or silly ideas like that, its-”</p><p> </p><p>“Stronger than that,” Sanghyuk interrupted, nodding slowly as Jaehwan snapped his mouth shut. “But I feel bad not being able to see the one I feel so drawn too.” </p><p> </p><p>The abrupt change of subject startled Jaehwan, a hand flying to his cowl without conscious thought. The elf felt bad for the lie now. He’d never felt bad for it before, knowing how much danger it would put him in. Knowing it would put a target on his back, make him valuable. But this was all very, <em> very </em> knew and while Jaehwan <em> did </em> feel a connection to Sanghyuk, connection and trust did not always go hand in hand. His elder brother was proof enough of that. </p><p> </p><p>“It is better for you that you can't. But you can feel me, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk nodded but lowered his eyes, very clearly hurt but the elfs reluctance. Jaehwan felt a twinge of regret seeing that expression on the man’s face. “Maybe once we grow to know eachother better? If you wish to know me better, that is.”</p><p> </p><p>A second nod and a small smile that made Jaehwan smile in return, even if Sanghyuk could not see it. “Good. Are you staying in the city? I was just passing through but I had no real destination in mind-”</p><p> </p><p>Hakyeon knocked on the doorframe, Jaehwan flinching violently at the sudden noise. The apothecary was giving them an odd look, just on the edge of smug, but he had a plate of what appeared to be lemon cookies in one hand. </p><p> </p><p>“I thought you didn’t know each other.”</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t,” they replied in unison, glancing at each other and then promptly turning away. </p><p> </p><p>“Uh-huh,” Hakyeon breathed, not bothering to disguise his disbelief as he padded over to hold the plate out for them. “I’m sure you’ve probably realized by now, but my name is Hakyeon. The one who went to collect your friend is my apprentice, Wonshik.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nice to meet you,” Jaehwan said, bowing his head respectfully before taking a cookie. Sanghyuk echoed his words but opted for a handshake rather than a bow. </p><p> </p><p>“Now, I don’t mean to break up your little get-together but-”</p><p> </p><p>The back door swung open with a bang and a man that resembled a hurricane full of teeth swirled into the room, Wonshik trailing behind and looking slightly put out. </p><p> </p><p>“Sanghyuk? <em> Night, </em>I thought you’d been killed! Why didn’t you return to the inn?” the man exclaimed, voice several octaves deeper than Jaehwan had been expecting. He rounded on the elf with fire burning in his wide brown eyes. “And who in the five hells are you!?”</p><p> </p><p>“This is Jaehwan, he found me and brought me here, he and Hakyeon saved my life,” Sanghyuk said smoothly, stepping in so Jaehwan didn’t have to speak. The newcomer was presumably the Hongbin that Sanghyuk had asked for. “Did you get it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I got it! But I would have happily <em> left </em> it rather than let you throw yourself in front of enemy blades like that!”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t <em> throw </em> myself anywhere, Bin. I’m better with a sword than you and you’re faster than me. It was a logical solution.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t pretend like this was some kind of plan! We didn’t <em> plan </em> for this! You acted without thinking, <em> as usual, </em> and I will cut off the rest of our contracts if you insist on being so-“</p><p> </p><p>“Stop shouting.” Hakyeon didn’t raise his voice but the two words held a note of command that was completely unasailible. Hongbin rounded on the apothecary with a glare that was downright ferocious. “This doesn’t concern you, healer.”</p><p> </p><p>“It does now, since you’ve come into <em> my </em> shop and are screaming at <em> my </em>patient.”</p><p> </p><p>Hongbin opened his mouth to retort but Hakyeon held up a hand. “Sit down and have a cookie.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really, Bin, I'm alright,” Sanghyuk added, giving Hongbin a grin so boyish it made Jaehwan want to coo and pinch his cheek. Hongbin eyed the apothecary, squinting and scowling, but he <em> did </em> sit. </p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Hakyeon said, moving to perch on the edge of the cot like a sparrow. The apothecary was handsome, Jaehwan thought, tugging the neck of his cowl down so he could nibble on his cookie. The rooms gas lamps made Hakyeon's warm skin glow. He had copper flecks in his eyes behind a pair of wire-rim spectacles, and strands of amber woven sparsely through his chocolate brown hair. From Atros, the desert lands in the south, if the elf had to guess. And his boots and breeches and loose linen shirt did nothing to disguise what Jaehwan thought resembled the body of a dancer. Lithe and graceful. Hakyeon tapped a finger thoughtfully against his bottom lip as he assessed the newest intruder in his shop. “Now, tell me what it is that you <em> got.” </em></p><p> </p><p>Hongbin's eyes had narrowed so much it was a wonder he could still see through them. “It’s none of your business. I thank you for helping my friend, genuinely I do, but we really have to get going.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did what I could but Jaehwan was the one who saved his life,” Hakyeon replied, gesturing to the elf. Jaehwan gave Hongbin a little wave but it went ignored. “And despite the odd circumstances that brought the three of you here, you are in <em> my </em> shop and are eating <em> my </em> food, and so I deserve at least a cursory explanation.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re sellswords,” Sanghyuk said, earning a sharp smack to the back of the head from Hongbin and returning it with interest. “We were doing a job and there was more security than we expected. I got injured, we got separated, and then Jaehwan brought me to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“What kind of job?”</p><p> </p><p>“A man paid us to retrieve a map that had apparently been stolen from him.” A jab to Sanghyuk’s ribs made him wince and Jaehwan rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. He didn’t like this casual violence. It rubbed him the wrong way. But the cookie was starting to fortify him and the whistling of the teakettle only heralded more refreshment, so Jaehwan stayed silent. </p><p> </p><p>“What kind of map?” Hakyeon asked, standing and handing the tray of sweets to Wonshik on his way to pour tea. Jaehwan wanted to ask for another, they were absolutely delicious, but he still kept his mouth shut. This didn’t seem like a time to interrupt. </p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you have it don’t you? Let’s have a look.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Hongbin exclaimed, at the exact same time Sanghyuk said, “Alright.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hyukah, you’re just being <em> stupid </em> now! You know that was part of the deal!” Hongbin snapped, jumping to his feet and looking down at his friend. Sanghyuk wordlessly handed Jaehwan the second uneaten half of his cookie, getting to his feet as well. Their height disparity was even more striking than Sanghyuk’s and Jaehwans, but the elf wasn’t interested overmuch. Not when he was busy trying to puzzle out how Sanghyuk knew he was still hungry. </p><p> </p><p>“Bin, there is something happening here that I don’t understand, okay? I <em> can’t </em> understand it. But Jaehwan was brought to me for a reason and I think,” Sanghyuk shot Hakyeon what he probably thought was a discreet look, “I think Hakyeon was as well. And Wonshik for that matter. And the timing... I mean think about it! I was going to ask to show Jaehwan the map anyway but-“</p><p> </p><p>“And who are <em> you </em> exactly?” Hongbin interrupted, turning his glare on the elf. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan did his utmost not to shrink away, to curve in on himself and hide. He didn’t think showing weakness would do him any favors with this man. So he forced himself to stand, only feeling the smallest twinge of victory knowing that he was taller. He was taller by <em> maybe </em> an inch, but Hongbin was broader. Very broad indeed and handsome as <em> sin. </em> He was dark of hair and dark of eye, putting Jaehwan in mind of a Tayre prince. The Tayre were all dark haired and dark eyed for better camouflage when they lept around their sacred forests. But Hongbin didn’t have the pointed ears or long legs. No, Jaehwan thought he was most definitely a human. </p><p> </p><p>“I think you should be aware that we know Sanghyuk is a Darah,” Jaehwan said, keeping his tone even and measured. <em> Pointedly </em> non confrontational.</p><p> </p><p>Hongbin went visibly pale and Wonshik gasped from where he’d perched behind Hakyeon. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t say such lies,” Hongbin spat, taking a very quick step toward the elf. Jaehwan raised his hand and showed the man his wrist. The faint half-moon scar that was left from Sanghyuk’s bite. Hongbin got even more pale if such a thing was possible but Jaehwan pushed on. </p><p> </p><p>“And I agree with him. Something has brought us all together in this moment and if this <em> map </em>has any significance I believe we should look at it.”</p><p> </p><p>He turned to Hakyeon. “I don’t think it was mere chance that led me to your shop earlier this evening. And I don’t think it was chance that I found Sanghyuk bleeding in that alley. It could be the will of the great mother, I do not know, but you and your apprentice play a role. Of this I am certain.”</p><p> </p><p>The apothecary graced him with a nod and Jaehwan felt Sanghyuk’s hand settle on his shoulder once again. At least the three of them were in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you hiding your face? I don’t trust people who cover their faces without cause,” Hongbin snapped, taking another step towards him and reaching for his cowl. Jaehwan felt strong enough by that point to weave and so he did, twirling a strand of atmos around the man’s wrist and yanking his hand away. </p><p> </p><p>“I am hideously disfigured, the cover is meant to spare those who have to see me.”</p><p> </p><p>Hongbin gave a derisive snort, trying and failing to free his arm from Jaehwans weave. “I’ve never <em> ever </em>heard of an ugly elf.”</p><p> </p><p>“An accident when I was a child. Believe me, it’s better that you do not see.”</p><p> </p><p>With a quiet sigh, Hakyeon stood as well. “If he is self conscious enough to hide then leave him be. Let’s have a look at this map.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bin, come on,” Sanghyuk urged in a voice that edged in whiney. His friend wasn’t having it though. “Have you conveniently forgotten that we were paid extra for discretion? Not to ask any questions and above all else <em> not to look?!” </em></p><p> </p><p>“So we give him back the bonus!”</p><p> </p><p>“You must have lost your mind, Hyukah, truly! We had plans for that money- <em> hey!” </em></p><p> </p><p>Unnoticed by either of them, Hakyeon had maneuvered around and snatched a small case from the inside of Hongbin's cloak. Jaehwan couldn’t help but smile. </p><p> </p><p>The case was thin and cylindrical, maybe twelve inches long, bound in deep indigo leather and decorated with black embroidery that almost seemed to sparkle. Something about the unnatural glimmer set Jaehwans ears twitching with agitation. He drew several drops of glacia from the air around him and wove it with the existing strand of atmos, beginning to probe at the case. Trying to feel, to sense if it had any magic to it-</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan hissed and skittered back until he collided with the wall. It had magic alright, <em> dark </em> magic. A Shayde working that he wanted to be as far away from as he possibly could. It repelled him, disgusted him, made his stomach begin to twist like it was full of writhing worms. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuks worried face was hovering in front of him but Jaehwan kept his eyes fixed on the case. “Zanja’s work, dark magic,” he murmured. If they were going to open it, which Jaehwan now really wished they wouldn’t, letting one of the humans do it would be a mistake. He waved Sanghyuk away and tried his best to suppress a shudder of revulsion as he took a hesitant step into the center of the room. </p><p> </p><p>“Back up, all of you, please,” the elf said quietly, reforming his atmos and glacia weave and plucking the case from Hakyeon's hands. It pushed against him, strained, clearly as repulsed by Jaehwan’s magic as the elf was by it. Once all the humans were a safe distance away and Hongbin's protests had been quieted, Jaehwan took a very deep breath. </p><p> </p><p>He added a bit of terra to his weave, not enough to be visible but just to give it some strength. Forming that with one hand, he drew up a column of atmos around each of the humans so they’d have a bit more protection. The first strand began to pluck at the closures on the case, poking and probing to find the seal, then slowly, hesitantly, popping open the snaps keeping it shut. </p><p> </p><p>A cloud of pure darkness burst from the end of the case and Jaehwan mentally patted himself on the back for the precautions he’d taken. Still holding it in the air with the first strand, the elf nudged open one of the rooms windows and formed a gust of pure atmos that succeeded in pushing the darkness outside before it could touch any of them. He slammed the window closed once all of it had dissipated. </p><p> </p><p>“Hold,” Jaehwan snapped. Hongbin had made to step forward but froze in place at the sharpness in the elf’s voice. There could still be something else lurking in the cases sinister depths. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan slowly turned the case upside down. A tight scroll of ancient looking parchment slid out and he managed to catch it on a gentle cushion of atmos before it hit the floor. But that was all the case held. No more darkness flooded the room, no other magic that Jaehwan could sense. Good. He let the case fall a few inches before shoving it into the empty hearth and dousing it with kindra, burning the leather and thread to cinders in an instant. </p><p> </p><p>“If you had opened that without me here, the lot of you would have been poisoned by that shadow and died within an hour,” Jaehwan said, dropping the shields around the others. “I would very much like to know who thought they were skilled enough to deal with such magic that they paid you to get it.”</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know,” Sanghyuk replied, one large hand closing convulsively around the elf’s wrist. “They left written instructions. We were only going to meet them when the map was delivered.”</p><p> </p><p>“Curious.” Jaehwan didn’t know why he said it, such a concept was <em> anything </em> but curious. Who ever was after such a dark artifact would obviously want to keep their identity a secret in case Sanghyuk and Hongbin failed or the magic was discovered. It was only logical. </p><p> </p><p>“Is it,” Wonshik cleared his throat, “Is it safe to touch now? I didn’t like the look of that cloud thing, whatever it was.” </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan nodded slowly. “I can’t feel anything else, neither of meline influence nor good.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do it, I found it so I should do it,” Hongbin said, stepping forwards and kneeling before the scroll. His fingers were quick and nimble as he plucked at the chords keeping the scroll shut. They were tied in a simple knot and the man untied them easily. Jaehwan tried to peak over Sanghyuks shoulder to see what was written on the parchment, as his new friend and shifted in front of him, but it was no use. Sanghyuk was just too... to <em> large.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“What’s the thunderspire?” Hongbin asked the room at large. Jaehwan blinked. He’d read about the thunderspire once, in the library back home in the palace. “A mage tower, or it <em> used </em> to be a mage tower. It was destroyed in the Shimoren civil war some seven centuries ago,” the elf replied, confused. It wasn’t like the tower was a secret. Why would a map to it be guarded so strongly?</p><p> </p><p>“Is that all?” Hakyeon asked, moving to kneel at Hongbin's side. “It says...” Hongbin trailed off, paused, and then continued, “One of ten, five of two, together when the world was new. Come look here and then you’ll find, that all the stars have been aligned. One of dark and one of light, hand in hand instead of fight, break the seal and look within, return the sky to what once has been.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s more, an inked<em> #1 </em> on the bottom, and here in this corner,” the apothecary said, the honeyed lilt of his voice slicing through the silence that hung thick in the air. The rhyme or poem or whatever it was was foreign to Jaehwan’s ear, but he could almost feel an unnamed magic humming within the words. Hakyeon nodded to himself and began to read. </p><p> </p><p>“Six of six the set must be, if they wish to find the key. A child of ice, a child of shade, a child of blood and the land remade. A child that mends, a child that breaks, a final child that speaks with snakes. Two of one heart reunited, one of love most unrequited. The second two of north and south, both possessed of a wicked mouth. The final two still more unalike, one that runs, and one that fights. Six children must join the quest and give the captured heart its rest.”</p><p> </p><p>“What in the five hells is that supposed to mean?” Wonshik asked, a note of strain very clear in his voice. Jaehwan... Jaehwan didn’t know. He could guess though, the bit about a child of ice. There were only two children of ice left in the five kingdoms and his brother was <em> certainly </em> not going to join any quest. But-</p><p> </p><p>“Unless one of you is also a Darah, I’m going to go ahead and assume that <em> child of blood </em> means me. We aren’t all that common,” Sanghyuk said, running his free hand through his hair. “And I’m a Larmah, but we <em> are </em> pretty common. Still, it takes care of the <em> speaks to snakes </em> part,” Wonshik added, eyes fixed firmly on his boots. The Larmah originated in the central kingdom of Alenrac. Normal humans who’d developed the ability to communicate with the snakes that roamed their fields, Jaehwan remembered. </p><p> </p><p>“And you,” Sanghyuk continued, motioning to Hakyeon, “You’re a healer, you mend. And Bin, you break basically anything you touch.”</p><p> </p><p>“I resent that,” Hongbin snapped, but he went ignored. “I’m also from the south, my family has roots in Glimmerland for the last five generations at least,” Hakyeon added. Jaehwan didn’t know exactly where Glimmerland was, but his guess that the apothecary was a southerner had been correct. </p><p> </p><p>“Great, do you have something I can write with?” Sanghyuk asked, taking the parchment and stick of charcoal Wonshik passed him with a smile. Using the wall as a desk, he wrote:<em> ‘Ice, Shade, Blood, Mends, Breaks, Snakes.’ </em>He drew a little check mark next to the final four and then turned to look at Jaehwan. “You aren’t disfigured, are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Jaehwan blanched, taking several very fast steps backwards. The man sighed. “Listen, you tasted weird. I know you aren't a Tayre but I wasn’t going to push you since you’re clearly not comfortable. This-” he waved at the map, “This <em> changes </em> things. We need to know what you are so we can know if you’re part of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t know what you’re asking, and you’re all making assumptions and jumping to wild conclusions! There’s no proof that the rhyme means us specifically,” Jaehwan said sharply, inching further back as Sanghyuk moved forward. He couldn’t show all of these strangers. Not without preparing himself first. Couldn’t expose his truth so abruptly after all these years of hiding. The thought sent waves of panic crashing over him, sent the magic in him roiling. Sloshing from side to side within his body like water in the bottom of a boat. </p><p> </p><p>He knew Sanghyuk was right, knew that they needed to know but he just couldn’t-</p><p> </p><p>“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk murmured, resting a comforting hand on his arm and thankfully not reaching for the cowl. “You said that you feel it, whatever it is that's between us two, and that something brought the five of us together. And you know what I am, you know my secret. So let me know yours.” His voice had grown softer as he spoke like he was trying to calm a frightened animal, and Jaehwan <em> hated </em> to admit that it was working. </p><p> </p><p>The elf darted a look toward Hakyeon, then Wonshik, then Hongbin. Too many eyes one him. Too focused. Too intent. It felt like his heart was going to punch a hole through his ribcage. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk sighed. “Do you have somewhere the two of us can speak privately?”</p><p> </p><p>The apothecary gave Sanghyuk a very measured look but eventually nodded. Sanghyuk nodded back and took Jaehwan’s hand, the two of them following Hakyeon into the shops propper. Jaehwan did his best not to notice the way Hongbin was glaring at him as they passed. </p><p> </p><p>“Just in here, it’s more of a storeroom than anything else but it’ll have to do.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Hakyeon. Really,” Sanghyuk said, nudging Jaehwan inside before following. Hakyeon gave them that same near-smug smile and returned to the others. </p><p> </p><p>~❅~☾~❅~</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk flipped the switch of the wall-mounted lamp to fill the storeroom with light before closing the door. </p><p> </p><p>The young sellsword’s head was spinning with all the madness that had taken place in the last two hours. He was used to a life of action, minor scuffles and treasure hunting and pockets heavy with coin. A life of excitement. But it was a <em> mundane </em> sort of excitement. The kind of excitement that a man could grow used to and end up craving more. The kind of excitement that ended up being no excitement at all. </p><p> </p><p>What he certainly <em> wasn’t </em>used too was being rescued by anyone other than Hongbin. Feeling drawn to anyone other than Hongbin. Caring for anyone other than Hongbin. And definitely not caring for a total stranger.</p><p> </p><p>He turned to look at the man trying to hide himself in the corner behind a rack of shelves that reached over his head. Jaehwan was... Sanghyuk still didn’t know. He was an elf, that much was obvious. He was more skilled in wielding magic than anyone Sanghyuk had ever seen in his twenty four years of life. Sanghyuk could taste the power in his blood and, no matter how much he despised himself for needing to steal Jaehwan’s life force, Sanghyuk couldn’t help but want to taste it again. </p><p> </p><p>“Jaehwan,” he said quietly, extending his hands, palm up for the elf to take. Jaehwan didn’t move. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, it’s just us two. I won’t tell anyone what you are, I promise. You know I’m telling the truth, I know you do.”</p><p> </p><p>The elf still didn’t move so Sanghyuk tried again. “You said you feel a bond with me? Like connecting two halves of your soul? And then this weird map, talking about two of one heart reunited or whatever it was? It can’t be a coincidence. In fact, I’m <em> sure </em> it isn’t.” He tactfully left off the bit about unrequited love. Sanghyuk didn’t know what that was about and he didn’t care to. </p><p> </p><p>“Just let me see.”</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan’s fingers shook but he reached out and snatched up Sanghyuks hand. He was quiet for another moment and Sanghyuk didn’t press him. Sanghyuk could see how difficult this was. Jaehwan had given up his blood like it was nothing but revealing his face... Sanghyuk wondered how bad it was. How bad it could be that the elf felt like there was an earthquake about to shake him to pieces. </p><p> </p><p>“Close your eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>And Sanghyuk did. He let his eyes fall shut and <em> kept </em> them shut, even when he felt Jaehwan squeeze his hand. Even when Jaehwan released him and he could hear the rustling of cloth. </p><p> </p><p>“You may look now, just- just please don’t scream.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk opened his eyes, blinked, and promptly forgot how to breathe. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan was... Sanghyuk didn't have a word to describe it. He was the exact <em> opposite </em>of disfigured. </p><p>Handsome, almost too handsome for masculinity. Hair like a frozen waterfall, gleaming silver and arrow straight that tumbled down to just above his hips. He had the pointed ears and pointed nose that all elves possessed, but the <em> mouth. </em> Every elf Sanghyuk had seen had thin almost translucent lips but Jaehwans were full and a soft blush pink. And the <em> eyes. </em>Not brown like Sanghyuk had been expecting but ice blue, sharp and piercing and eons deep. </p><p> </p><p>“What-“ Sanghyuk gulped, blinking hard to make sure he was seeing the truth. When he opened his eyes again, this vision still stood before him. Trembling and scared with his arms wrapped around his torso. “What <em> are </em>you?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a Glayce.”</p><p> </p><p>“The Glayce died out <em> centuries </em> ago!”</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan nodded sadly. “All but two of us. My elder brother, the crown prince of Lurlian, and me.”</p><p> </p><p>“But why do you hide?! If people knew-“</p><p> </p><p>“If people knew, I would never be free again. Every kingdom would be after me for my magic, every ruler would try and trap me so they could use me against the others. It is safer like this, safer to hide, safer to simply wear my cowl and pretend to be a Tayre.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk felt his mouth go slack but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. He understood now. The Glayce were the ultimate weapon if he was remembering his school texts correctly. Able to access a type of power that only they could. Sure, the Shayde could use shadow magic but that was nothing compared to the Glayce. </p><p> </p><p>“Child of ice,” he murmured. Jaehwan nodded and raised a hand, the newborn scar on the inside of his wrist flashing white as he twirled his fingers above his head. Sanghyuk flinched as the sight of that scar, suppressing a savage stab of self hatred as snowflakes drifted down around them from nowhere. </p><p> </p><p>They spoke quietly for a few moments more, Sanghyuk watching the elf wind his hair up into a tight knot at the nape of his neck before pulling the cowl back over his head. Features safely hidden once again, Sanghyuk regained the ability to breathe evenly. </p><p> </p><p>“Where is your... what was it called again? Like a special bodyguard or something? I thought all Glayce have them.” He could vaguely remember something about humans who dedicated themselves to one Glayce and one Glayce only, pledging to protect them with their lives. </p><p> </p><p>“Dawn,” Jaehwan nodded, what Sanghyuk thought was a solum note in his voice. “My Dawn was killed in the war. They all were.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Sanghyuk tried, but Jaehwan waved it away. “It was a long time ago.”</p><p> </p><p>When they reentered the room, Wonshik and Hakyeon were whispering to each other while Hongbin sat, sipping his tea and glaring at the window like it had caused him personal offense. </p><p> </p><p>“We can trust him. He’s a part of this,” Sanghyuk said, voice a touch louder than necessary so he could get everyone’s attention. “How do you know?! You’ve spent all of five minutes alone and you think you know this person?! Don’t be ridiculous!”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk gave his best friend a tired smile. He knew why Hongbin was so upset. His best friend liked a routine, liked the safety and security that routine provided. Liked knowing his territory and knowing exactly where he stood in every situation. Being off balance in any capacity always made Hongbin nervous, and when Hongbin was nervous, he liked to shout. Possessed of a wicked mouth <em> indeed. </em></p><p> </p><p>“You trust me?”</p><p> </p><p>Hongbin swallowed what Sanghyuk was sure would be a sharp retort, but he nodded all the same. </p><p> </p><p>“Good, and I trust him. He’s coming.”</p><p> </p><p>“Coming where?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I think we should go have a nice long chat with our patron,” Sanghyuk replied, taking the scrap of paper from where he’d left it and slipping it into the pocket of his cloak. Hakyeon perked up.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought the same. We are only five after all, your patron could make six.”</p><p> </p><p>~❅~☾~❅~</p><p> </p><p>After much discussion and even more debate, Sanghyuk, Jaehwan, and Hongbin had all waited while Hakyeon and Wonshik went upstairs to pack their things. </p><p> </p><p>The five had decided to follow this map no matter whether the patron came with them or not. They figured that if it wasn’t the patron, they would pick their sixth person up along the way. It was putting quite a bit of trust in fate but Sanghyuk still felt his stomach churning with nervous excitement. An adventure, a <em> real </em>adventure. </p><p> </p><p>The inn where they were supposed to deliver the map was only several blocks from where Sanghyuk and Hongbin were staying. They’d planned it that way and Sanghyuk was even more grateful for the close proximity now. </p><p> </p><p>“You really trust this elf? You weren’t just saying it? We could still bail now, go out the back door and never see these people again,” Hongbin said, breaking the silence as they moved around their chamber to collect their things. The others were waiting down in the common room and Sanghyuk had been expecting this line of conversation as soon as the two of them were alone. </p><p> </p><p>“I really do.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you can’t tell me why?”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk rolled up a spare linen shirt and slid it into his pack. “No. You’re just going to have to believe me.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence for several heartbeats until Hongbin asked, “Which pair are you? The pairs from that weird poem thingy... I’m fairly certain I’m the northerner with a sharp tongue or whatever it was.”</p><p> </p><p>“The two of one heart reunited,” Sanghyuk replied, keeping his eyes fixed on his pack. The younger was thankful his friend didn’t press him further.</p><p> </p><p>Things packed and map secure in Hongbin's pocket, they went to collect their three companions. It was a short walk to their patrons inn and Sanghyuk stuck himself between Jaehwan and Hongbin, both wanting to keep watch over them and keep them apart. The street lights were on, they always were, and Sanghyuk couldn’t help wondering what his new friends hair would look like reflecting their pale glow. </p><p> </p><p>“Room 203,” Hongbin said, leading the small party through the common room and up the stairs. They’d been left a key with their last set of instructions and Sanghyuk passed it to his friend when the door they were looking for came into view. </p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan tugged on his sleeve. “What is it?” Sanghyuk asked quietly, resting a hand on his sword hilt that was concealed under his cloak and ducking his head so his new friend could whisper in his ear. “We need to go. Take the map or leave it, it doesn’t matter, but we have to go. <em> Now.” </em></p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuks eyes flicked to the door Hongbin had just opened and bit his lip. “What’s wrong? You don’t have to be scared-“</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not <em> scared, </em> but this is bad business. I can feel it. Blackness. Shadow, do you understand? It’s not safe, we <em> have </em> to get out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>The words of that silly poem came unbidden into Sanghyuk’s head. <em> A child of ice, a child of shade... </em></p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be fine,” he said, forcing a surety he didn’t feel and taking Jaehwan’s hand. </p><p> </p><p>The room was dark, not a single lamp or bulb alight to show them what was within. Sanghyuk couldn’t even tell where the furniture was. The blinds must have been drawn to keep out the moonlight. Maybe their patron wasn’t here-</p><p> </p><p>Wonshik shut the door behind them and a voice spoke, high and cool, echoing from the far side of the room, “I was under the impression I had only hired two men, not five.”</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan hissed like a house cat that’d been dunked in a river and his hands flew up, ropes of pure light shooting from the tips of his fingers in the direction of the voice. Before they reached the wall, however, something swished through the air and sliced straight through them. Startled into action, Sanghyuk had his sword drawn and Hongbin had his bow in hand with an arrow knocked before the elf had a chance to react. </p><p> </p><p>“Shayde!” Jaehwan spat the word like a curse, fire sparking in the palms of his hands. He’d stepped around Sanghyuk and dashed further into the room before either sellsword could stop him. The flames that erupted from him were doused as soon as they came but Jaehwan didn’t stop. First the fire, then stirring the air, then more beams of that white light. All of it was swallowed up by the pool of inexorable darkness in the corner. </p><p> </p><p>“Easy, cousin, don’t be foolish.”</p><p> </p><p>His voice made ice seem warm. It was a male voice, Sanghyuk registered that much, but he was too startled by the elements being thrown around the way an angry child threw toys to move. </p><p> </p><p>“You are no cousin to me, Shayde,” Jaehwan hissed, forming and arrow of distilled heat and hurling it towards the voice. Sanghyuk couldn’t see the elf’s face but Jaehwan’s voice was pure poison. Again, the arrow dissipated before it came into contact with whatever Jaehwan was aiming at. “Stop hiding, coward!”</p><p> </p><p>A soft laugh was the reply, the sound chilling Sanghyuk down to his bones, and then Jaehwan began to choke. “That’s rich coming from someone with their face covered.”</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing to him?! Stop!” Sanghyuk croaked, finally coming to his senses and stepping forwards. He collided with a solid wall of nothing. The sellsword didn’t understand, there was nothing there. One of Jaehwan’s hands flicked behind him and a gust of air shoved Sanghyuk backward so hard that he nearly lost his footing.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know any of your kind survived the purge,” the voice said, a man slinking out of the shadows with one hand outstretched. He was elven as well, but Jaehwan’s polar opposite. Long hair as black as pitch, tied half up in a topknot. Catlike black eyes narrowed and lips pursed in something close to a frown. Darkness simply seemed to pour from him, floating around his feet like fog and rolling off shoulders so broad they’d give Hongbin’s a run for their money. “Lets see if you are what I think you are.”</p><p> </p><p>“You have five seconds to stop whatever it is you’re doing or I’ll put this arrow through your eye.”</p><p> </p><p>The man didn’t even spare Hongbin a glance but the aforementioned arrow spontaneously burst into flames. Sanghyuk looked frantically around. His best friend was cursing and stomping on his now charred arrow to put out the fire, Hakyeon had shoved Wonshik against the door and was standing protectively in front of the bigger man, both staring at the larger elf with panic in their eyes. </p><p> </p><p>Their patron advanced further, a current of shadow curling around Jaehwan’s middle and lifting him on the floor. Jahewan was scratching at his own throat, not even seeming to care that the dark elf reached out to pull the hood off his head. </p><p> </p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk’s strangled shout went ignored. The cowl fell to the floor, Jahewan’s silver hair tumbling down around his shoulders in a phantom breeze, more black fog pouring from his open mouth. </p><p> </p><p>“As I expected. You’re kind was always so weak,” the man murmured, stepping closer to peer into Jaehwan’s wide eyes. “Are you going to calm down and let me speak?”</p><p> </p><p>Jaehwan’s foot connected with the man’s stomach and he grunted in surprise but recovered quick, straightening up and backhanding the smaller elf across the cheek. Sanghyuk felt his friends whimper of pain like he’d taken a knife to the gut. <em> Again.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Done?”</p><p> </p><p>A few more seconds of silent struggling and Jaehwan nodded once. </p><p> </p><p>“Good.”</p><p> </p><p>The fog evaporated and Jaehwan dropped to the floor, landing in a one-kneed crouch. Panting hard and massaging his throat. </p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk didn’t know what to do with his hands. He couldn’t decide whether or not to sheath his sword. It was just taking up energy trying to hold it and this elf could <em> clearly </em> kick his ass into next week whether he had a weapon or not. He ended up just dropping it on the ground and running to his new friends side, the invisible wall previously holding him back now mercifully gone. </p><p> </p><p>“Actually, it’s good that you’re here, cousin. Even if you’re a bit less powerful than I hoped you’d be.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m out of practise, and stop calling me that!” Jaehwan snapped, wiping his mouth with the back of one shaking hand and allowing Sanghyuk to help him to his feet. “I should kill you where you stand for what your people did!”</p><p> </p><p>The Shayde closed his eyes and sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. “I thought you were going to let me speak.”</p><p> </p><p>“Speak, then,” Jaehwan snapped, maneuvering around so he was in front of Sanghyuk and backing them both closer to the wall. The sellsword looked down at the top of his new friends silver head. He could feel energy still prickling off Jaehwans body, unspent and liable to explode at any moment. </p><p> </p><p>“I take it you’ve looked at the map?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Hakyeon replied, voice surprisingly steady. The Shayde nodded at the apothecary, looking at each of them in turn. “Good, I was counting on that. I would like to join your quest.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk felt Jaehwan go entirely still. “Why? Who said we were going on a quest?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I made an educated guess, based on the fact that all of you have packs and are dressed for travel. Additionally, I am aware of the prophecy this map contains.”</p><p> </p><p>“Child of shade,” Wonshik mumbled, the dark elf giving him another nod. “Yes. I believe the child of shade is me. And our child of ice is here, presumably with trying to shield his twin flame?”</p><p> </p><p>Twin flame? Sanghyuk had never heard that phrase before but Jaehwan reacted to the words like he’d been burned. The younger sellsword cleared his throat. “I’m a Darah, child of blood,” he said, choosing not to comment on whatever a twin flame was. </p><p> </p><p>“Mending,” Hakyeon added, raising his hand like a student in a classroom. A sharp, “Breaking,” from Hongbin was quickly followed with Wonshiks squeaked, “Snakes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excellent, we’re all here then. My name is Taekwoon, by the way.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you knew who Jaehwan was and know about the map, why did you try to kill him just now?” Hakyeon asked, still standing resolutely in front of his apprentice. Taekwoon... he didn’t laugh so much as snickered. “In all fairness, he attacked me first. And I wasn’t trying to kill him. If I was trying to kill him then he’d be dead. His light is strong but I can snuff it out easily.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk hated to admit it, but Jaehwan <em> had </em>started it. </p><p> </p><p>“And if you know so much, do you know where this is going to lead us? Not just to the thunderspire, but do you know what the point of all of it is?” Hongbin asked, resettling his bow over his shoulder and crossing his arms. </p><p> </p><p>“Indeed I do. I’m sure you’re all aware of the story about the heart of the sun?” Taekwoon replied. He knelt and retrieved Jaehwans cowl from the floor and tossing it to the Glayce with a disinterested flick of his wrist. All five of them nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I am of the belief that my people made the wrong choice when they ripped the sun’s heart from the sky. I have my reasons, but suffice it to say that it was unfair. We could have survived perfectly well in our lands with the sun intact and the rest of you shouldn’t have to pay the price for our greed.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk had heard the story about the heart of the sun at least a thousand times. It was a fireside regular, every child in the five kingdoms grew up on it. How the Shayde elders had cracked the sun like an egg and stolen the fire from its center. Leaving behind nothing more than a second moon. How they’d messed it up somehow and the Glayce had found the sun's heart instead, hiding it to keep it safe so it couldn’t be destroyed. That was why the war had started. Every single Glayce killed and not one would yield the secret of where the heart of the sun was kept. Or... all but two Glayce had been killed. </p><p> </p><p>“Liar,” Jaehwan snapped, electricity fizzing off his skin as he tried to step forward. Sanghyuk wrapped an arm around his new friends shoulder to keep him still. “Child of shade, Jaehwan, we need him,” he whispered. </p><p> </p><p>“And you,” Hongbin said, rounding on the smaller elf, “All this fuss just because your blonde?! Who cares if you’re blonde?!”</p><p> </p><p>“No, he’s smart to hide. If anyone of importance knew that a Glayce still lived, he’d be either dead or shackled within a month,” Taekwoon replied, eyeing the cowl Jaehwan had started to put back on. “And to answer your previous question, this map is one of ten. They each lead to somewhere that a key has been hidden. All must be followed and all the keys retrieved, and once we have the keys we can release the heart of the sun. Remake the sky as it should be. Right my people’s greatest wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>Sanghyuk had never seen the sun, he was too young. Couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have a ball of fire floating around in the sky. The room was silent for a long moment as the Shayde moved to retrieve his pack from where it had been propped against a small table. “Shall we go? I’ll explain more along the way.”</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t like they had much of a choice. Finding a Shayde on the mainland didn’t happen every day and this one was <em> very </em>clearly part of the whole thing. Sanghyuk wasn’t sure what to do so he waited for the others to act, first Hakyeon following Taekwoon into the hall, then Hongbin, before urging his feet forward and pulling Jaehwan with him. </p><p> </p><p>“I do not trust him,” Jaehwan murmured, holding tight to Sanghyuks hand as they hastened back the way they had come, Wonshik close on their heels. </p><p> </p><p>~❅~☾~❅~<br/><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*I’m estimating between 12-15 chapters, but that number is subject to change*<br/>*I didn’t even know snow elves were a thing, so you can go thank my friend @monsterboyf for that tidbit*<br/>*Also, praise @taekwoncheeks for spending her valuable time beta’ing for me*</p><p>Alright, here’s the vision:<br/>Fantasy Taekwoon but with long hair<br/>Scentist Hakyeon but with gold highlights<br/>Jaehwan is basically a mixture of Closer era and Kensa<br/>Dynamite Wonshik<br/>Chained up Hongbin<br/>Shangri La Sanghyuk</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hakyeon’s mare snuffled and bounced as it followed the road out of town that led in the direction of the thunderspire. He was unused to riding, almost always preferring to walk on his own two feet. He didn’t even own a horse! Neither did Wonshik for that matter, they’d had to take two extras that the Shayde brought along. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The apothecaries opinion was still out on Taekwoon. Aside from the unpleasantness of their introduction, he’d been mostly quiet as they rode out of Mairis. Sometimes leading the party and sometimes dropping back to assess the shadowy forests on either side. None of the promised explaining had happened yet but Hakyeon was still hopeful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hakyeon let his eyes wander around, trying to make out where everyone was. Wonshik was several yards to his left, riding a black stallion like he’d been born in the saddle. Advantages of being a farm boy, probably. Hongbin was directly in front of him with a lantern in one hand and his bow in the other, shifting his reigns constantly back and forth between them. He seemed like the least complicated of all of the companions. Decisive and sure of his opinions, but still open and ready to hear other suggestions (all the bluster and shouting aside). Smart and logical with a very cool sense of humor, </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> the kind of person Hakyeon liked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then there were the other two. Jaehwan and Sanghyuk. The two who insisted they’d never met before last night but were as comfortable together as decade-long friends. Sanghyuk seemed innocuous enough, considerate and easy-going and quick to laughter. But the elf was another matter entirely. Hakyeon had been impressed with Jaehwan right from the start. Not many people would have helped a stranger the way he had, and even fewer would have offered to give whatever Sanghyuk needed without first knowing the cost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan hadn’t had a horse either but he’d refused the mount Taekwoon had offered, choosing instead to ride in front of Sanghyuk on the sellsword's </span>
  <em>
    <span>alarmingly</span>
  </em>
  <span> large gelding. He’d also tried to set Taekwoon’s cloak on fire twice more before Sanghyuk had gotten him to calm down. Hakyeon couldn’t even blame Jaehwan for the instant animosity. He remembered the stories, Glayce children killed in their beds, entire towns leveled in a matter of minutes, the kind of brutality that gave Hakyeon nightmares as a kid. Jaehwan’s people had been ruthlessly and systematically exterminated, and Hakyeon would honestly be more worried if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> hate the Shayde for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whispering from a little behind caught Hakyeon’s attention and he turned his head, just a bit, just enough that he could listen without making it obvious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you’d fallen asleep,” Sanghyuk was saying, followed by a little sniffling sound. Jaehwan's voice drifted on the breeze like faint chirping of birdsong and he replied, “No, I was just thinking. I’ll be right back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hakyeon </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> turn all the way around in the saddle this time, right as Jaehwan slid sideways and landed lightly on his feet. They weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>galloping</span>
  </em>
  <span> but they certainly weren’t moving at a slow pace, however it didn’t deter the elf, running silently beside Sanghyuk’s horse with his navy cloak flying behind him and leather boots not more than a blur. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jaehwan! Get back on!” Sanghyuk exclaimed, voice sounding more like a croak than anything else as he tried to grab the elf's hand. Jaehwan shook his head. “I want to check our surroundings and make sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn’t leading us into a trap. Stay with the others,” he replied, patting Sanghyuk’s shin before darting off into the woods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk called wordlessly after him with a shell shocked expression on his face but Jaehwan didn’t return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get him,” Taekwoon said quietly, riding up beside Sanghyuk and tossing the sellsword his reigns. Sanghyuk caught them deftly but he looked at the Shayde with undisguised suspicion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, may I ask you something first?” Hakyeon said, a question popping into his mind unbidden. Taekwoon looked him over and nodded. “You paid Hongbin and Sanghyuk extra </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> to look at the map, correct?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon nodded again. His dark eyes glittered like flecks of onyx in the moonlight and it took a physical effort for Hakyeon to hold his gaze without flinching. “Then why did you say you were counting on the fact that they’d look?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon's thin mouth curved up in the first smile Hakyeon had seen from him. It was a little smile, almost sly, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> a smile. “Young humans are predictable. Telling them </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do something is the best way to assure it gets done,” he replied, patting his horses flank and then leaping from the saddle and sprinting away into the darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From a few yards ahead, Hongbin huffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~❅~☾~❅~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan stuck to the tree line as he doubled back, searching for trackers or soldiers or bandits or </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> that could be lurking in the dark. His feet beat out a soundless rhythm against the forest floor. It was so good to stretch his legs after riding the entire night and most of the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that riding was altogether unpleasant, and certainly not when he was tucked against Sanghyuk and had to do none of the actual steering. But Jaehwan had legs and perfectly good legs at that. Sitting still for long stretches of time had never been his strong suit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you off too, Snowshine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan nearly ran smack into a tree. The quiet voice drifted out of the darkness on his left and he put on a burst of speed, vaulting onto a bolder and up into the canopy above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get away from me, Shayde!” he called, jumping lightly from branch to branch. The world seemed to grow darker around him as he moved and Jaehwan felt his magic spike from anger. How dare this- this </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster</span>
  </em>
  <span> seek him out?! Where did he find the balls to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>speak</span>
  </em>
  <span> to Jaehwan after what his people had done?! And in that </span>
  <em>
    <span>superior</span>
  </em>
  <span> tone. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>audacity...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to abandon us and run.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan barked a laugh and jumped higher, neatly dodging a swirl of shadow that tried to wind around his wrist. “You don’t have to worry, I wouldn’t leave Sanghyuk without saying goodbye so you’ll have some notice if I decide to go,” he breathed, glancing up at the moon. He knew Taekwoon could hear him just as easily as if he’d screamed. Better not to let the others overhear. Not that they would have been able to with that </span>
  <em>
    <span>abysmal</span>
  </em>
  <span> human hearing of theirs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then where are you going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t trust you, in case that wasn’t abundantly clear already. And I’m making sure my new friends are safe,” Jaehwan replied coolly. He slowed down a bit and swung himself up to a higher branch to avoid another of the Shayde’s weaves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, they're safe. I need them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>use</span>
  </em>
  <span> them,” Jaehwan corrected, not bothering to keep the nastiness from his tone. Taekwoon chuckled softly from somewhere on the ground below. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, at least the monster wasn’t denying it. “Of course I’m n-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan's words cut off in a breathless cry, the well-worn sole of his boot skidding on a loose shred of bark. He couldn’t regain his balance fast enough and before his brain caught up with his body Jaehwan was tumbling through the air, branches catching on his tunic and cloak and tearing the cowl from his face. He frantically began to weave, drawing threads of atmos around himself to try and cushion the inevitable landing but he was moving too quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground was right there, closer and closer and closer and then it just </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jaehwan was floating in a cloud of amniotic darkness, something pressing against his back and another something hooked around the undersides of his knees. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Strong</span>
  </em>
  <span> somethings. Strong </span>
  <em>
    <span>arms,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jaehwan realized belatedly, lashes fluttering as he gasped for breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Careful, you’ll be needed when all of this comes to an end. Try not to die so hastily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan blinked hard, clearing the spots from his vision and looking up into a pair of very dark eyes. The Shayde had caught him. And they were moving, running back through the forest the way they’d come, Taekwoon's footsteps even more soundless than Jaehwan's. Muffled by the thick fog shrouding them from view. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could sense Taekwoon's magic now, foreign and </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> too cold. He fought against it, trying not to let it touch his skin. He didn’t want Taekwoon’s darkness to contaminate him. “You know,” the Shayde said, shifting Jaehwan in his arms as he ran, “I’ve never seen one of your kind before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were running so fast that Jaehwan could feel his now exposed hair whip around in the air, tangling in knots. His cowl was gone, favorite tunic ripped, and now he owed this demon for saving his life. This day could </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> get any worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The edge of the tree line where the road lay was coming into view and Jaehwan focused inside, reaching into his well of power and weaving strands of lumina with drops of glacia in the air around them. He shut his eyes, letting electricity crackle from his fingertips and swirl around him until it formed a barrier between him and the Shayde. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do not approach me,” Jaehwan whispered, hearing Taekwoon’s hiss of pain as Jaehwan rolled out of his arms. He landed in a crouch and slowly stood, the sound of Sanghyuk calling his name in the distance barely even penetrating his thoughts. “Do not </span>
  <em>
    <span>approach</span>
  </em>
  <span> me, do not </span>
  <em>
    <span>speak</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me, do not even think about </span>
  <em>
    <span>looking</span>
  </em>
  <span> in my direction. I will help free the heart of the sun, but I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lightning bloomed around him, barely controlled, roiling and sizzling and bright enough to light up the trees. But it didn’t burn the Shayde. Just as it had before, Taekwoon’s shadow simply soaked it up. The sparks died before they ever reached him. No matter how much Jaehwan wished he could simply burn the Shayde to cinders right then and there, he had to practice his skills if he ever dreamed of winning a fight one on one. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to fight, once all this quest business was finished Jaehwan wanted to rip the Shayde’s heart from his chest. If he even </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> a heart. It wouldn’t be nearly enough to avenge his people but Jaehwan had to start somewhere. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pounding of hooves finally caught Jaehwan's attention and he doused his lightning, turning a bit and holding his hand up. Sanghyuks fingers closing around his wrist weren’t a surprise. Jaehwan could tell it was him, sense his new friends presence like a gentle glow that subtly flared in the back of his mind the closer Sanghyuk was. The elf jumped lightly into the air and swung himself up onto the saddle in front of Sanghyuk without the horse slowing down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s your cowl? And why were you all... sparky?” Sanghyuk asked, resting his chin on the top of Jaehwan’s head as he turned the horse around to ride back to the others. Just being near enough to touch the man relaxed Jaehwan. His temper was cooling off, anger at Taekwoon dissipating as quickly as it had come. He hadn’t changed his mind about destroying the awful creature but the need to fight was less frantic now. Now that he had his steady friend to lean against. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Shayde put his </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> hands on me and I lost my temper,” Jaehwan muttered, “And I accidentally fell out of a tree. I have a spare cowl though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk jerked the reins so sharply that Jaehwan nearly slipped to the ground. “He what?! You what?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he caught me when I fell. Although I really would have rather he hadn’t. A broken leg would have been better than having to feel his vile magic. Shift over,” Jaehwan replied impatiently, pulling one leg up and balancing so he could turn around and sit the other way. Now facing his friend, Jaehwan could see that Sanghyuk was gaping openly at him again. The sellsword seemed to do that quite often, but Jaehwan ignored it. He didn’t want to think about the way Taekwoon’s shadow had curled around his limbs like poison vines, and he wanted to speak about it even less. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His and Sanghyuks packs hung from straps in place of saddlebags but they were still out of reach. “I said shift, please,” the elf repeated. Sanghyuk still wasn’t moving so Jaehwan dropped his hands flat on his friends shoulders and pushed him down, the man’s back flush against that of his enormous horse. Jaehwan shimmied half way up his friends body until he was essentially sitting on Sanghyuks stomach, fumbling around blindly in his pack for his spare cowl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hush, I’ve almost got it,” Jaehwan said in response to the little squeaking noises his friend was making. “If you’d just moved, I wouldn’t have had to squish you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could have gotten down! You know, like a normal person!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan huffed and ignored that as well, finally locating his cowl and yanking it free. He refastened the top of his pack and sat up. “There, all done.” He scooted back off Sanghyuk, turned around again, and then began winding up his hair while he scanned their surroundings for the Shayde. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon was maybe twenty paces away, lounging in his saddle and staring at Jaehwan with an unreadable expression on his face. Jaehwan glowered right back. The last thing he was going to do was give Taekwoon cause to think he was intimidated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re done treating Hyukah like a jungle gym, can we get going now? It’s almost night time and I want to make camp soon, I’m starving,” Hongbin called, bow now strung across his back. Jaehwan glowered at him as well for good measure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuks arms came around him once more, holding the reins in both hands. He made a soft clicking sound and nudged his horses flanks. It whinnied and began to trot, Jaehwan fixed the cowl in place, and he rested his head in the crook of Sanghyuks neck. The elf hoped there would be a water source of some kind near their campsite. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a wash. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~❅~☾~❅~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonshik set the final pole of his and Hakyeon’s tent in the soft earth of the clearing with a low grunt. He could smell the damp ground, the almost sweet perfume of smoke that wafted up from the campfire Hongbin had just lit. Could hear quiet chewing as Hakyeon nibbled on a strip of dried beef. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Night,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but Wonshik had missed this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He loved being an apothecary's apprentice, especially to one as skilled and kind as Hakyeon, but he’d grown up outside. Wind in his hair and moonlight on his skin and dirt under his feet. It was good to be out again. Out in nature, out in the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did a good job with that. Camp often?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The quiet voice was accompanied by a rustling of cloth and Wonshik looked around. Taekwoon was rolling out a bedroll maybe five feet away, hair loose from its topknot and hanging down across his face like ribbons of ink. The Shayde hadn’t spoken to him personally yet and Wonshik didn’t quite know what to think about this new development. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon was intimidating, on the surface at least, startlingly good looking and quietly confidant in his actions. Even with the way he constantly talked down to Jaehwan, Wonshik couldn’t help but feel drawn to Taekwoon in a weird way. And it wasn’t like Wonshik had any sort of motivation to stand up for Jaehwan or feel bad for him. Jaehwan didn’t seem to care about Wonshik </span>
  <em>
    <span>at all.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The Glayce was much more interested in Hakyeon and the giant bloodsucker to pay Wonshik any attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I used to camp all the time when I was a kid,” Wonshik replied, giving the elf a small smile. To his surprise, Taekwoon smiled back. “You’re from the midlands, yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonshik nodded, suddenly alert. Why was the Shayde asking him questions? Why now? Was it just because Wonshik was physically the closest person to Taekwoon so he was the natural choice? Or did Taekwoon want something from him? Want to get information out of him for some sinister reason?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is why you don’t talk to people other than Hakyeon, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Wonshik admonished internally. “I’m from Tassion, just south of the silent wilds. I don’t know if you know it,” he replied, lowering his eyes to his pack and reaching around inside. He wasn’t even looking for anything. Wonshik just needed something to focus on other than the Shayde’s dark and penetrating stare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know of it, but I’v never been. This is actually only my second time on the mainland,” Taekwoon replied absently. His soft voice didn’t match the cool exterior, Wonshik thought, as he counted and then recounted the packets of herbs Hakyeon had instructed him to pack. If he hadn’t been able to see Taekwoon’s mouth form the words, the apprentice wouldn’t have believed such a sweet sound could come out of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Why did you come the first time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon was silent for a few moments but eventually sighed, pulling his black cloak from around his shoulders and folding it neatly on the foot of his bedroll. His shoulders were so broad, body lithe but well muscled. Wonshik hadn’t missed the way Taekwoon had been carrying Jaehwan earlier in the day. Like the Glayce weighed less than nothing. The apprentice prided himself on always keeping his eyes open, being aware of his surroundings, catching what others missed. He didn’t think the others had even seen the elves interaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When my Dusk passed into the realm of the dark mother... I brought his body back to his family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My Dusk. My bonded human protector.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonshik frowned slightly. He’d never heard of such a thing. But... “I’m sorry your Dusk passed on, but that was kind of you. To return him to his family, I mean. What was his name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minhyun,” the Shayde replied, an almost wistful note to that musical voice. “He was the most lovely man and he left this world peacefully.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jaehwan’s Dawn was murdered. By </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> lot,” Sanghyuk spoke up from where he was seated on the opposite side of their little camp. Both Wonshik and Taekwoon glanced over at him, Wonshik clearly more wary of the bloodsucker’s sharp tone than Taekwoon was. Sanghyuk may be young but he was still gigantic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? It seems as though the job is open then. Are you hoping to fill the vacancy?” Taekwoon replied, voice so sweet it was clearly mocking now and Sanghyuk visibly bristled. Wonshik was just about to duck into the tent and hide when Hakyeon finally spoke up. “No fighting, children. What happened to all that</span>
  <em>
    <span> meant to meet</span>
  </em>
  <span> and</span>
  <em>
    <span> intangible connection </span>
  </em>
  <span>bullshit you were spouting in my shop?” he asked, in the curt and no-nonsense way he reserved for people behaving stupidly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m starting to have second thoughts,” Sanghyuk snapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hyukah, go cool off before you say something dumb. And go get Jaehwan, will you? Dinner is almost ready,” Hongbin said, cutting off Hakyeon’s retort and shooing his best friend in the direction of the woods. He was warming some rolls over the fire and dispersing equal portions of fruit and hard cheese into six wooden bowls, making sure everyone had enough to eat. They’d decided to split the chores, like cooking and washing up, evenly between them and Hongbin had volunteered to be the first to do it. Rather uncharacteristically cooperative, if his behavior so far was any indication of general temperament. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From several feet away, Wonshik saw Hakyeon smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Sanghyuk mumbled, getting to his feet and retreating into the foliage without a backward glance. There was a spring maybe fifty paces away from their clearing and Jaehwan had scampered off almost the moment they’d stopped, claiming that he needed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>wash the twigs and dirt out of his hair </span>
  </em>
  <span>or something like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His absence was just fine with Wonshik. Taekwoon was nicer without the Glayce around. The apprentice hid a smile of his own and ducked into the tent to change his clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~❅~☾~❅~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk tried his best not to stomp as he wound his way through the trees in the direction of the spring. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He saw... that </span>
  <em>
    <span>look.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’d seen it all throughout his childhood. The way people looked at a Darah. Fear and disgust contorting their features in equal measure. Sanghyuk </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. He’d always hated it, being looked at like he was some kind of monster. Like he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>unclean.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Wonshik looked at him like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the way Taekwoon spoke at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>to</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. The distinction was very clear for Sanghyuk. Taekwoon spoke like he could read Sanghyuk’s mind. Like his thoughts were as obvious as the nose on his face and Sanghyuk knew they weren't. He had a fantastic poker face. And how Taekwoon threw words at him like barbs, innocent on the surface but thorny beneath. How he talked about Sanghyuk and Jaehwan’s newfound bond like he had all the answers and the human had none. If they didn’t need the Shayde for this stupid quest, Sanghyuk would have put an arrow through his foot several hours ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hwannie?” he called, cupping a hand around his mouth to try and make himself heard as the spring slowly came into view. But he couldn’t see his friend yet. Maybe Jaehwan was just under water. That nickname was new as well but it barely fazed Sanghyuk. It felt comfortable, rolling off his tongue like he’d been saying it for years. He honestly didn’t understand that part, Sanghyuk </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> have only known the elf for roughly thirty six hours. Surely, he’d known Jaehwan his entire life. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> have. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk reached the tree line and looked around. No Jaehwan. He blinked once and then began walking along the forest's edge, scanning the water for any hint of movement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There. A few feet away from the shore, skin glittering like diamonds, hair flowing around him like a beacon of silver flame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan wasn’t wearing anything, Sanghyuk realized belatedly, feet rooted to the spot where he had frozen. The clothes that had nearly been shredded in the elf's fall were piled haphazardly on the bank, wadded up and probably now dirty. Had Jaehwan never learn how to fold?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk couldn’t tear his eyes from the Glayce in the spring. Jaehwan’s back was to him, submerged up to his shoulder blades in water that was no doubt freezing cold. His long, slim fingers were running through that hair. Winding it around and then letting it go, letting it swirl in the translucent cold. And something else, like spring rain dappling the treetop canopy. Or like a snowflake drifting down from the sky to land on a flower petal. His friend was singing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mellifluous voice drifted through the air to the human, tangling his brain up in knots. Sanghyuk didn’t know how to act, how to speak, how to breathe. He could do nothing but listen. Listen and stare as the entirety of his world focused and condensed down to one point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan must have been crouching because he stood then, the water lapping at the base of his spine. He began to wring the wetness from his hair and the sellsword was still utterly transfixed. His friend’s waist was so petite, the muscle at his bicep swelling just enough to be noticeable, the luscious divots at the small of his back drawing Sanghyuks eyes and holding them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanghyuk? What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sellsword, realizing he’d been caught staring for what was probably the eighteenth time now, tried to take a step back into the woods. It was a useless attempt to hide, really, seeing as Jaehwan had turned around and was looking straight at him. Had he snapped a twig? Made a noise of some kind? Or could his new friends pointy ears pick up the sound of his slow breathing? Or the sound of his racing heart?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you come to wash as well? I know it looks cold but I promise it isn’t,” Jaehwan added, fingers tripping over the rippling surface of the water. Steam rose from the places he touched and Sanghyuk watched in amazement as his friend cupped water in his hands and tossed the liquid up in the air, the particles popping and crackling like minuscule fireworks. Each burst of light flaring a different color in the darkness. Watching Jaehwan do magic was like watching him paint with rainbows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Sanghyuk murmured, struck with the beauty of it all. The beauty of </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> This enchanting and ethereal being that had careened into his life like a star crashing to the earth. He should really consider blinking, his eyes were starting to water. But Jaehwan was smiling at him now, the first smile Sanghyuk had ever actually seen on his un-cowled face, and blinking would mean being unable to see it. Sanghyuk couldn’t stand that thought. Not even a little bit. Not even for a second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan laughed then, like a peel of tinkling bells. Two firsts in a row. “Will you stop doing that? You look like a fish on dry land,” he called, still chuckling as he slowly waded over to the bank. Sanghyuk managed to close his mouth. Finally. “I do not,” he retorted, hating the croakiness of his own voice as soon as the words left him. Maybe he was turning into a frog. All he seemed to be able to do lately was croak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>too!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk crossed his arms and squinted at the elf, trying his best to look intimidating. “Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I’m here to inform you that dinner is ready,” he replied, watching Jaehwan move closer and closer, the water starting to dip lower and lower and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sellsword shut his eyes so fast they probably snapped audibly. Beads of clear water rolling down the side of Jaehwan’s thigh, hair wet and clinging to his skin, lashes stuck together from the damp. Sanghyuk didn’t have to look. His imagination was painting vivid enough images as it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” came the soft voice, much closer than before. Some rustling as well, if Sanghyuk had to guess. The elf was getting dressed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great mother be praised, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mused, pursing his lips in a tight line and trying to banish all thoughts of his friends naked body from his head. Fantasizing in the middle of these twice damned woods wouldn’t do Sanghyuk any favors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was feeling itchy now for some unknown reason. Cold and hollow inside like something was missing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He knew that feeling. Sort of. This wasn’t exactly how the hunger usually came though. Normally it was just a dull ache in the pit of his stomach, manageable for several days if he really tried to ignore it. The sellsword usually ignored it until he keeled over from exhaustion. Anything to delay the moment he would have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>steal </span>
  </em>
  <span>again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s twin flame?” Sanghyuk asked, eyes still firmly closed as he tried to ignore the way his insides were twisting around like angry eels trapped in a bag. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan hummed wordlessly from several feet away. There was a faint pounding sound as well now, Sanghyuk’s body going rigid as he realized what it was. He wouldn’t lose it now. Wouldn’t go all ‘feral predator’ just because he could literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear </span>
  </em>
  <span>the blood thrumming against Jaehwan's skin. He was better than that, stronger than that, had learned to control those urges a long time ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk had seen what happened to a Darah when they went too long without feeding. How their skin turned ashen, eyes dull and lifeless, driven mad from hopeless longing when the thing their body craved was kept from them. Less than human. But it had only been, what, two days? At most? Not even two days. They had stolen the map in the evening, then found Taekwoon and ridden all through the night and again through the day. There was only one moon in the sky now, so... twenty-four hours? Thirty? This was</span>
  <em>
    <span> impossible.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A week between feedings was the routine Sanghyuk had gotten used to. Not a day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A twin flame,” Jaehwan replied, “Is what we are. I think. Possibly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s kind of a shit explanation, no offense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’d let me finish,” the elf grumbled, words running together and sounding distinctly whiny. Sanghyuk smiled even as he clenched his fists. Trying to breathe through his mouth rather than his nose. Trying to keep control. “It’s a bit like a soulmate. Two people that complete one another. Make each other stronger and better and more whole. Not romantic, but more sort of spiritual.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk could see that. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>not romantic </span>
  </em>
  <span>part hurt Sanghyuk’s feelings a bit more then it should have or had any reason to, but it wasn’t like he could come up with a better answer to what was going on between them. “Taekwoon was making fun of me,” he replied, changing the subject with an abruptness that startled even himself. He just had to keep talking, stay distracted until the hunger inevitably subsided. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of a sudden, Sanghyuk could </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. The aroma assaulted his olfactory senses like a series of punches to the stomach. Amber, cinnamon, lily, rosewood. The scent of Jaehwan’s magic mingling with the copper tang of his blood. Sanghyuk couldn’t stop the hiss that slipped from between his teeth. It was so strong he could almost taste it, his mouth beginning to water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He said his Dusk was dead and I said that your Dawn was too. He asked if I wanted to be your new Dawn,” Sanghyuk grit out, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. Maybe if he opened them his sense of smell wouldn’t be so overwhelming, but- no that wouldn’t help. It would be like looking at a banquet, just that much harder to avoid temptation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan didn’t reply but the sellsword could feel him standing there. Awkward and quiet. “I don’t want to, by the way. I don’t even know what that would entail,” he added, trying to assuage the rush of discomfort that washed over him at the elf's continued silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re shaking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, could you not stand so close to me?” Sanghyuk asked, not trusting his feet to move in the direction he wanted if he were to try and back away.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Night,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but he was royally fucked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because,” he tried, swallowing very hard, “I don’t want to hurt you. Go back to the clearing with the others and I’ll follow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whisper gentle press of a hand against his cheek sent Sanghyuks eyes flying open. This really wasn’t fair. Jaehwan was right there, a clean white tunic wrapped around his little body, hair dripping in wet patches and turning the fabric translucent. His pulse was thrumming at the base of his throat, Sanghyuk could see it now in addition to being able to smell it. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>royally</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please- go away.” White was no good, it would get stained. His thoughts were muffled, vision slightly blurred, the hollow feeling inside his chest getting stronger. Echoing and empty, mouth going dry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan was staring at him, calm, assessing. Sanghyuk couldn’t meet those frozen eyes. He didn’t even have the strength to keep his head up properly, just blinking down at the point where Jaehwan’s trousers were tucked into his boots. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanghyuk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” the elf said softly, the hand still pressed against his cheek tilting his face up a bit. The current running between them from that point of contact... Sanghyuk felt like he was going to burst into flames on the spot. “I know what ails you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan released the sellsword but stepped a touch closer, holding his pointer finger in front of his eyes. The smell was starting to drive Sanghyuk mad but he watched, perplexed, as ice crystals began forming on Jaehwan’s fingernail. They piled up and smoothed over until it looked like the elf had a crystal talon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a swiftness Sanghyuk hadn’t been expecting, Jaehwan's hand flashed across his own collarbone, a shallow slice opening where the crystal had scratched. Beads of scarlet welled to the surface of his skin and the scent of his peculiar magic filled the air around them like a cloud of toxic gas. Sanghyuk lost it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snatched the elf up, hugging him tighter then was probably necessary, and sealed his mouth over the wound before a single drop of blood could spill. This was easier than actually having to bite. Sanghyuk hated the biting part most of all. Made him feel like he was some kind of rabid dog. He sucked gently on the elf's skin to make the flow a bit stronger, make drinking a bit easier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thick and rich and surprisingly hot, Jaehwan’s blood began to pool in his mouth. Relief. That’s what it tasted like. Relief and salt and just a hint of brown sugar. He kept one hand on the nape of Jaehwan’s neck and the other on the small of his back, trying to keep Jaehwan upright as he swallowed the first mouthful. It didn’t really work. Jaehwan had gone soft and pliant in his arms and Sanghyuk indulged in it, bending his new friend so far backwards that his hair nearly touched the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His skin stopped itching after the second mouthful. The second was always the best. Teetering on the edge of enough, but without the mild nausea that the third brought on. Overindulging on an emetic would just make him sick, Sanghyuk had learned that the hard way, but something about Jaehwan’s blood was narcotic to him. The excess magic the elf possessed, probably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sang-Sanghyuk,” Jaehwan mumbled, winding his arms loosely around the human’s neck. “Not too much, just... a little.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk was having trouble hearing his friend over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. Something else was happening now, after the third mouthful. He was being greedy and he knew it, but that wasn’t exactly the problem. It was like he’d accidentally taken too much energy. Nothing like that had ever happened before, and yesterday Jaehwan had pulled him off before he’d barely gotten a second mouthful. But now the itching was back. Under his skin. Coiling around his organs and thrumming in his veins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sunk down into a sort of crouch after the fourth swallow and forced himself to stop, collapsing in a sitting position on the spongy ground and draping the elf across his lap. Jaehwan was still clinging to him, panting, and Sanghyuk tried to make himself focus. He licked at the cut to get it to heal up, doing his best to be gentle as not to hurt Jaehwan more than he already had, but it was so hard to think just then with all this </span>
  <em>
    <span>power </span>
  </em>
  <span>threatening to incinerate him from the inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re really strong,” he said quietly, staring across the spring at a tree on the opposite bank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan shifted a bit, sitting up so he could inspect Sanghyuk’s face more closely. “Yes. I am. I thought a little would be okay since you reacted fine after the first time but- Sanghyuk are you feeling alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t feel bad, just weird. But it was growing stronger, brighter, more insistent with every passing heartbeat and Sanghyuk didn’t know what to do about it. Didn’t know how to handle the vast amount of power that was coursing through him. Every spot that Jaehwan touched him burned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think,” he mumbled, ducking his head and nipping at Jaehwan's pulse point. Not to break the skin or anything, more just for something to do. Something that wasn’t imploding. The elf made a soft little noise that Sanghyuk tried very hard to tune out. “Too much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan's heart rate increased. Why could he still hear it? He wasn’t hungry anymore, quite the opposite. Or was that his own heart? Sanghyuk had no clue but the phrase </span>
  <em>
    <span>so royally fucked </span>
  </em>
  <span>kept echoing in his head, over and over and over-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen to me,” Jaehwan said, voice jarringly firm. His hands found Sanghyuk’s cheeks again and he dragged the human’s head back up. He was worried. A tiny furrow in his brow, eyes wider than normal, lips pushed out a touch too far. That was what <em>worry</em> looked like when it settled across the elf's delicate features. And wasn’t that the kicker? Jaehwan was above average height, for humans at least, he wasn’t small by any means, and yet he looked so tiny up close. So willowy and soft and small. Sanghyuk blinked twice. Maybe it was his energy. Jaehwan had the same energy that a small but loud dog had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t listening.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” Sanghyuk lied, because he hadn’t been. Maybe swallowing would help? It didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan took both Sanghyuks hands, lacing their fingers together. That didn’t help either. That made it astronomically worse. This was like trying to stop a volcano with a cork. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need to let go. Let the energy flow out of you. I’ll weave it for you, but you need to just let it out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And how the fuck was he supposed to do that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Breathe,” Jaehwan replied, sounding much more sure than he looked. Sanghyuk- how did he breathe again? How did his lungs work? How was he supposed to-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan pulled the neat trick of elbowing him in the ribs while still holding his hand and Sanghyuk managed to inhale. That was good. Although inhaling just made him feel even fuller then before. And that was bad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, exhale. Imagine all the energy pouring out of you as you do it,” Jaehwan urged, giving Sanghyuk’s hand a little squeeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Sanghyuk tried. He imagined the fire inside him shrinking and condensing until it was a tiny ball of light. A small star that traveled out of his stomach and up his throat and now sat on the tip of his tongue. All he had to do was open his mouth and release it. Sanghyuks lips parted, air leaving his body with a stifled sort of shudder and Jaehwan's eyes went almost comically wide. The elf had barely a split second to look down at their hands in shock before... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan let Sanghyuk go and made an elaborate hand motion in the air between them, like he was tracing the outlines of a spiders web. The man didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how he could help. He didn’t think speaking would be smart yet. Didn’t want to break the elf’s concentration. But Jaehwan had slid off his lap at some point and so Sanghyuk decided to remedy that. Jaehwan's palms came together, just a hairsbreadth from connecting when Sanghyuks hand closed around his waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elf’s hands flew apart with a startled cry and the trees around them exploded with pure light. Brighter then the wildest fire and an unnatural bluish white. Sanghyuk tried to pull away but he couldn’t. It felt like his hand had been welded to Jaehwan's hip. He glanced up and nearly stopped breathing again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A column of jagged electricity was crackling from the elf, shooting up past the canopy high above and right on into the clouds. Like a bolt of lightning had struck the earth and frozen in the moment of touchdown. Jaehwan exhaled sharply, hair flowing around him like it had been caught in a gale and ice blue irises now the color of freshest snow. He was holding all of Sanghyuks extra energy, the man realized, channeling it upwards to stop it from charing them to dust. As suddenly as the light had come, it vanished, and Jaehwan slumped forwards, limp and shaky and gasping for air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hwannie,” Sanghyuk exclaimed, voice several octaves higher than he would have liked to admit. His hand came unstuck and he pulled his friend back to him. Hugging but trying not to smother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of shouting and running footsteps some distance off broke into Sanghyuks awareness enough that he managed to call a croaked, “Over here,” before losing the ability to focus on any single thing. He was back to croaking now. Back to being a frog. Jaehwan's pointy nose was pressing into his sternum. Jaehwan's warm puffs of breath were slightly dampening the front of his shirt. Someone was calling his name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” he repeated, just as their four companions broke through the trees on their right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What in the dark mothers name...” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was Taekwoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanghyuk what the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I told you to cool off not...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongbin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then someone crashing to the ground at his side. Not really crashing, more sort of catapulting themselves into Sanghyuks personal space. He looked around and found that it was Hakyeon, Wonshik several yards behind him and pressed up against a tree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jaehwan, Jaehwan what’s wrong, what happened?” the apothecary was asking, trying to pry the trembling elf from Sanghyuks arms. Jaehwan wasn’t paying attention. He braced a hand on Sanghyuks thigh and sat up, wobbling as he turned halfway around and looked directly at Taekwoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanghyuk is a conduit,” he mumbled, fingers skittering up to touch his own throat, and then fainting dead away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk surged forwards, grunting at his friends deadweight but managing to keep him from hitting the ground. The same couldn’t be said for his hair though. Jaehwan was probably going to whine about just having washed it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This isn’t the time to be thinking such ridiculous thoughts, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sanghyuk mentally shouted at himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let go of him, we need to wake him up,” Hakyeon was saying, attempting to remove Sanghyuks hands from the elf. That wasn’t going to happen. Not a fucking chance. Sanghyuk slipped an arm under Jaehwan's knees and hauled him up until he could comfortably cradle his unconscious friend against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanghyuk, you need to let-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be still,” Taekwoon interrupted, moving silently forward and kneeling directly before them. He lifted a hand but Sanghyuk scrambled back the few inches he could. “Don’t touch him,” he snapped, glaring daggers at the Shayde, but he went ignored. Jaehwan wouldn’t want Taekwoon to touch him, of that Sanghyuk was absolutely sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon twirled his fingers through the air in a parody of what Jaehwan had done moments before. A small curl of smoke rose from his skin. Pure, undiluted darkness, edged with something that flickered a deep purple. Sanghyuk watched the trail as it dipped and rolled in mid air and then darted forwards towards the elf now prostrate in his arms. This was worse than if they had simply been skin to skin. The man knew Jaehwan's opinion of the Shayde’s magic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Sanghyuk felt as though he’d been rooted to the spot, powerless to pull away even when the channel of darkness slipped between his friends lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, wait what are you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Shaydes other hand shot up to cover Sanghyuk’s mouth and Sanghyuk resisted the very strong urge to lick his palm. Now really wasn’t the time to be childish. “He is depleted, your ways of human healing are not what he needs at this juncture. Not that I doubt your abilities,” he said quietly, nodding respectfully in Hakyeon’s direction without taking his eyes from Jaehwan’s face, “But if you truly are a conduit, I am surprised he wasn’t killed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk could still feel the power churning beneath his skin but it was at a much more manageable level. Not burning so much as tingling. He felt like he could run from one end of the kingdom to the other without breaking a sweat, or climb one of these enormous trees all the way to the top. Or raise a city to the ground with his bare hands. But that power came with a price, he saw now. The unconscious elf in his arms was proof enough. Jaehwan could have been killed. Jaehwan could have been <em>killed</em> and all because Sanghyuk had been greedy. This strength wasn’t worth the price Jaehwan had to pay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a cough that sent his body shaking violently, Jaehwan came too. Taekwoon lowered his hand and nodded to Hakyeon. The apothecary took over at once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jaehwan, can you hear me?” he asked, shifting over to press his palm to the elf’s forehead, nimble fingers snatching at Jaehwan’s wrist. Jaehwan’s hand came to his own mouth and he coughed one last time. His lips and the pads of his pale fingers dripping with liquid black. Like the elf had been drinking crude oil. He looked up at Sanghyuk, eyes dark and face empty. Sanghyuk tried very hard not to wince. Then the elf's attention turned to Taekwoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is twice in one day that you have saved me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jaehwan coughed. Taekwoon blinked. It was like none of the rest of them were there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please do not do it again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, Jaehwan pushed himself away from Sanghyuk and stood up, promptly keeling right back over. He yelped, palms hitting the dirt, silver hair pouring down to pool on the ground. He’d been out of Sanghyuks reach but within Taekwoon's. The Shayde had let him fall. Just sat there and watched it happen without lifting a finger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hakyeon moved to help the Glayce back to his feet and brush the dirt from Jaehwan’s white tunic. Fussing. “Help me bring him back to the camp, Wonshik, he needs to be looked over,” the apothecary called behind, lip caught between his teeth with concentration. His apprentice hurried forward and swept Jaehwan off his feet. Another quiet yelp and then the two healers were hurrying out of the clearing. Taking Jaehwan away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk stood to follow, guilt for putting his friend in this state rising in his throat like bile, but Taekwoon grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. The human was ready to start shouting until Hongbin caught his eye. Something about the look in his best friends gaze knocked the fight from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you know you are a conduit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t even know what that means.” Sanghyuk hid his face in his hands, unsure whether he should feel ashamed or dejected. Maybe both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon nodded. “Let me try and explain then. You, or your body, acts like an amplifier. I am assuming you fed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk grimaced, a fresh wave of self hatred crashing over him, but he stilled muttered in the affirmative. “That would certainly explain some things. The Glayce are a powerful race but he is incredibly weak on his own. Without you around to complete him, I have no idea how he’s managed to even survive for this long.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jaehwan isn’t weak, he’s the strongest person I’ve ever met,” Sanghyuk replied, hearing the icy note to his voice and not bothering to try and conceal it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That may be so, but he is weak for one of his kind. What he did just now, with the lightning, would not of been possible without you giving him strength. Even the attempt would have left him an empty husk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what are you saying? You want me to what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Shayde smiled, a cool little smile, mischief written in the line of his mouth. “Make him do it again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk blanched, all ready to shout again until he felt Hongbin’s comforting hand on his shoulder. When had Hongbin gotten there? “Why would I do that? It makes him sick. Did you not see him just lying here unconscious? You’re a dick for not catching him by the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you not just hear him tell me not to save him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon had him there, but, “That doesn't mean you should let him fall on his face! What did you do to him anyway? What was that black stuff?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calamis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beg pardon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calamis,” Taekwoon repeated, sweeping his dark hair over his shoulder with an elegant flick. “It is my shadow magic. The equivalent of Jaehwan’s lumina. His lumina is what now flows in your veins, pure light, the energy of his soul. And calamis is the energy of mine. The Shayde and the Glayce are two halves of the same coin, I guess you could say. We complete each other.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk winced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are the Tayre then?” Hongbin asked, giving Sanghyuk’s shoulder a little squeeze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Superfluous. More useless than both of our races and friend to neither.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great, and tell me why I should amp up Jaehwan's power again if it's just going to kill him,” Sanghyuk said, suddenly feeling very tired. He just wanted to go back to camp and sleep for a thousand years. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taekwoon’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly in thought but he got to his feet, extending a hand for Sanghyuk to take. “Because, both he and you will grow stronger with practice. You never know when supercharged lightning will come in handy during a fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sanghyuk didn’t take his hand.</span>
</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you follow my twitter you probably saw the hints about me indulging in my love of vampire-ish stuff lolol i apologize for getting carried away. <br/>also i live hyuken lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>COMMENTS AND KUDOS ARE LOVED &lt;3</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/Hwanneth">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://clytemnestrasrevenge95.tumblr.com%E2%80%9Drel=">Tumblr</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.me/nestras_rvng">Curious Cat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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